THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Tuesday that the demand for labor to be generated by the government’s major infrastructure projects will exceed 3 million workers.
“I think the requirement and the threshold for our infrastructure programs is more than three million workers, skilled and unskilled,” Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said at a livestreamed Palace briefing.
“And… this is just the start of the big infrastructure development program of the country,” he added.
Also at the briefing, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said he presented his department’s labor and employment plan to the Cabinet on Tuesday, which called for increased collaboration with other agencies on creating sustainable jobs and ensuring social protections for workers.
“The plan, which we presented earlier to the President, seeks to ensure rights at work, (compliance with) international commitments including human rights, and maximizing sustainable job opportunities,” he said.
Mr. Bonoan said the DPWH welcomes support from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) in staffing the 70,000 ongoing major and minor infrastructure projects this year.
In March, he said the projects, which also include farm-to-market roads with the Department of Agriculture, are valued at about P890 billion this year.
DoLE’s employment plan aims to upgrade worker skills, raise the quality of teachers, and modernize training institutions, Mr. Laguesma told an employer conference last month. It also details a protection program for employees.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in his second address to Congress urged government agencies to continue improving the employability of Filipinos.
Mr. Laguesma said the government will continue with upskilling programs offered via the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
He expects around 75,000 jobs in the energy industry resulting from investment commitments from companies in Germany, Singapore, the US and the Netherlands, among other planned power projects.
“We want the private sector to be part of our plan to create more jobs with important government agencies,” he said. “We want them to see the infrastructure they need to complete these projects as well as the manpower requirement.”
The jobless rate eased to 4.3% in May, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Job quality improved as the underemployment rate, which measures those employed who are seeking more work or longer hours, decreased to 11.7% from 12.9% a month earlier and 14.5% in May 2022.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bonoan said the government plans to implement more flood control projects in the next two years, which he said will cost about P180 billion. Mr. Marcos ordered the DPWH to resolve flooding, which affected sections of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Central Luzon.
The DPWH is considering impounding water around the Candaba swamp in Pampanga, among other measures, which include raising the roads to stay above floodwaters.
“That was the instruction we got yesterday so we are now going to look for the funds actually to be able to accomplish raising the (NLEX) bridge to solve the flooding,” he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez