Hold job summit instead of Cha-cha move — solon

01/04/2009

A summit on job creation should be undertaken by Malacañang and Congress in the face of a looming massive layoffs of Filipino workers abroad due to the global financial crisis instead of President Arroyo’s allies in Congress pursuing Charter change (Cha-cha), Sen. Francis Pangilinan said yesterday.

“Instead of talking Cha-cha and term extensions, both Malacañang and Congress should be more preoccupied in devising means of creating job opportunities for those OFWs who will lose their jobs,” he said.

The executive and the legislative, Pangilinan said, should join hands and fast-track measures to serve as safety nets in the light of the looming financial crisis.

The senator is proposing the inclusion of the business sector to help design ways of creating new jobs.

Pangilinan said government should consider increasing support for the small and medium enterprises, particularly in the rural areas.

Government should expand credit access so that Filipino overseas workers coming home will instead engage in putting up their small businesses rather than waiting for job opportunities outside the country, he said.

Government should also look into measures to train Filipinos to earn income through the use of technology, especially with the widening use of the Internet worldwide, he added.

“There are a lot of opportunities for Filipinos nowadays to earn income from their own homes using only the Internet. Government should also look into how it can support SMEs by promoting and marketing their products and services utilizing mobile and Internet technology.

“We should hit the ground running in 2009 by putting our heads together to avert a rapid increase in our unemployment rate. I challenge the new Senate leadership to lead the call for a Job Creation Summit that

will involve Malacañang, the Senate and House of Representatives, business leaders and civil society.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales had also called on government leaders to respond with appropriate actions to the problem of economic crisis, saying that widespread poverty poses a threat to a peaceful existence.

“For wherever more people are hungry, jobless and homeless, peace is never securely established,” the 76 year-old cardinal said.

In his New Year’s message, Rosales pointed out widespread poverty that has rooted itself among people as the latest threat to world peace.

The prelate said while others have expressed the possibility that the world’s financial and economic crisis may affect the Philippines by the second quarter of 2009, government leaders should respond to such an emergency situation more than what economic justice needs to insure peace.

The Palace, meanwhile, said Mrs. Arroyo will spend her first working week in Mindanao to inaugurate several infrastructure and agri-business projects to finally realize her vision of turning the island into an agri-business capital before next year when she’s supposed to step down from her office.

Presidential Management Staff Secretary Cerge Remonde said government efforts in Mindanao will also help promote environment protection with agri-business at the core of program for its development.

President Arroyo is going to spend her first working week in 2009 with ten events lined up from January 5 to 8, Remonde said.

Her schedule as of Jan. 2 has her doing the rounds of six provinces in western and northern Mindanao, namely, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin and Bukidnon.

Mrs. Arroyo will fly out Monday morning to Mindanao visiting first the Midsalip town in Zamboanga del Sur and to attend a mass at the San Jose Parish Church.

The President will then hop on to Misamis Occidental to the east where five events await her until the following morning on Tuesday, with the first event taking her to the Salug Irrigation System for a project inspection.

After Salug, the President shall visit the town of Sinicaban to inaugurate the Hatchery of the Eco-Tourism Project of the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) at Dolphin Island.

Monday afternoon will have the President inaugurating the Ozamis City Public Market; and then visiting Tangub City where she will first dine with local government officials in the area before gracing the awarding ceremonies of the city’s Christmas Festival Showcase to be capped by a fireworks display.

Tuesday will kick off with the inauguration of the Clarin Birdge in Clarin, Misamis Occidental before the President flies to the south-east for the full Cabinet meeting at the Molundo Town Hall in Lanao del Sur.

By evening, the President will proceed north to Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental for the ceremonial signing into law of administration bills during her dinner meeting with local executives.

The President’s third day in Mindanao (Jan. 7, Wednesday) will be spent in the island province of Camiguin which is celebrating its 41st foundation anniversary. Here, the President shall lead the governance activities before luncheon with local government executives.

The fourth day in Mindanao (Thursday, Jan. 8) will have mediamen based in northern and western Mindanao interviewing the President at the Del Monte Lodge in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon before she flies back to Manila. Riza Recio

Remonde added that the highlights of Mrs. Arroyo’s accomplishments last year included fiscal reforms that insulated the nation from global economic crisis and the infrastructure and economic developments despite political crisis in the local front.

Remonde said that the fiscal reforms implemented by the Arroyo administration has been credited by the internatonal community for insulating the Philippines from the global economic crunch that hit most countries during the period of 2008.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the Philippines and China were cited by business wire service Bloomberg as the two resilient economies in Asia amid the global financial downturn.

“Undeniably this was the result of the economic reforms instituted by the President early on. While difficult days are expected ahead, we are in a better position to weather them as long as we keep the course and resist the temptation of divisive politics,” he said.

Remonde added that institutions including the Asian Development Bank and investment bank Goldman Sachs have recognized the Philippines as “a nation of calm” and this was attributed to the President’s response for the nation to be insulated from the ensuing economic crunch last year after the United States declared its biggest bankruptcy of financial institutions which saw developed countries in Europe, Asia and other continents suffering from this U.S. economic meltdown.

Remonde said that the second highlights of the President’s accomplishment for 2008 include the infrastructure and economic development that have been put in place despite the political crisis in the local front.

President Arroyo would have delivered her accomplishment report for 2008 last December 30 and including the priority report for 2009, Remonde reported. He did not report on the new schedule for the President to deliver these reports.

The fiscal reforms of the Administration has helped in providing funding program for the pro-poor projects of President Arroyo and among these include the cash transfer program for the households without enough money to pay their basic needs including food, medication, electricity, schooling and basic health services. The funding for these cash subsidies have been drawn from the windfall tax collection on Value-Added-Tax (VAT) which the Arroyo government has expanded in coverage and revenue collection since two years ago forming component of its fiscal reform measures.

Despite the present global financial crisis, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) expressed confidence that overseas employment prospects for Filipinos for this year will still be bright.

Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili reported that there is no terrifying effect as yet from the global crisis in the Middle East—particularly Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. These countries will continue to offer vast employment opportunities in the construction, medical, tourism, retail, energy, engineers, and planners, telecommunications operations and maintenance, hotel and restaurant and IT Sectors. The growth and expansion in these sectors are due to major infrastructure projects and expansion of exploration and production of oil and gas.

Saudi Arabia continues to push ahead with its mega projects regardless of the slowdown in the world economy. With its growing health care services sector, KSA shall provide employment opportunities and training assistance to Filipino nurses.

Qatar has embarked on one of its ambitious development programs in the world, which encompasses the oil and gas sector, infrastructure, non-oil and gas-related industries, education, health and tourism sectors. An estimated 37,000 additional jobs awaits OFWs in 2009 as reported by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her state visit to Qatar .

A Filipino construction company has bagged a $12 million contract in Qatar that is expected to employ at least 1,500 Filipinos.

The economic growth of the United Emirates remains strong as Abu Dhabi undertakes a massive diversification and continues its investment drive buoyed up by several years of bumper oil reserves.

The official also said that opportunities in the Asian region are also promising. Japan is expected to start hiring Filipino nurses, caregivers, and skilled professionals in the first half of 2009. Angie M. Rosales, Riza Recio and Mina Diaz

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