The Philippines adopts recovery plan for employment

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order to implement a recovery strategy for the country’s labour market.
By: | July 1, 2021
Topics: News | Philippines | Recruitment

The Executive Order (EO) No.140 or the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) is “expected to generate at least 220,000 jobs and assist over 1.4 million Filipinos struggling with unemployment and income losses”, said the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE).  

The EO institutionalises the NERS Task Force made up of 20 government agencies and chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry, with the DOLE and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority as co-chairs. Its members include the transportation, tourism, public works, agriculture, interior, environment, and education departments. 

The recovery agenda includes the passing of legislations to boost economic and employment recovery, promotion of retooling and upskilling of workers, implementation of youth employability programmes, loan assistance to enterprises, deferment of fees, upgrading of processes, social protection to vulnerable groups, and continuous support and monitoring to programmes with high impact on employment. 

READ: Skills framework launched in the Philippines

Programmes to be implemented under NERS are expected to cost 1.14 trillion pesos (US$23.4 billion) and will be rolled out from 2021 to 2022, according to CNN Philippines.