Government forms task force to boost jobs in Covid-19 economy

By Prince Golez

A new task force has been formed to uplift the condition of the labor sector affected by the coronavirus-induced slowdown in economic activity.

Various offices of the government signed a Joint Memorandum Circular creating the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) Task Force in a virtual ceremony last Friday.

“Our workers are among the most important sectors of the economy. They produce our food, goods, and essential products. They also provide the crucial and necessary services we need on a daily basis,” said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Nograles stressed the urgency of the initiative as he cited figures from the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority showing 420,000 workers lost their jobs in 2020, resulting in a 10.2 percent unemployment rate last year.

“Our National Employment Recovery Strategy or the NERS 2021-2023 will address access to jobs and livelihood programs, create retraining opportunities to improve employability, and do refocusing of jobs to cope with the needs of the current pandemic,” the Palace official said.

At the JMC signing, the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and other agencies committed their personal and resources to accomplish the NERS goals.

“The signatory and partner agencies are all in agreement that we need to support the Filipino worker during these challenging times with programs that are immediate in implementation and comprehensive in scope,” said Nograles.

“This is a shared, all-out effort which we’re also coordinating with the private sector because we want as wide a participation from stakeholders and policy makers as possible,” he concluded.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)