MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has set an ambitious target for the creation of 1 million digital jobs by 2028, potentially generating PHP24 billion to support public services and infrastructure projects.
President Marcos shared this goal during a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) at Malacañan Palace on Friday (April 19, 2024), where updates on Digital Infrastructure Work Plans were discussed.
“We’re committed to generating 1 million digital jobs by 2028, which could inject PHP 24 billion into funding various public services and infrastructure projects,” Marcos stated in a Facebook post on Saturday.
The President’s announcement came after extensive deliberations with the PSAC, focusing on aligning training initiatives with market demands to equip the workforce with the necessary skills and foster digital innovation and economic growth nationwide.
In a subsequent statement released on Sunday, PSAC confirmed that Marcos emphasized a “strategic focus” on achieving the target of 1 million digital jobs by 2028 during their meeting.
Furthermore, the President advocated for strengthening the Inter-Agency Council for Development and Competitiveness of the Philippine Digital Workforce, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships in targeted skills development and training programs.
This inter-agency council, mandated by Republic Act No. 11927, also known as the “Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act,” serves as the principal planning and coordinating body to enhance the skills and competitiveness of the Philippine workforce in the digital era.
Among the key initiatives discussed was the implementation of the 10,000 Digital Civil Servants project. This project will commence with the foundational training of approximately 40 participants in Singapore, who will subsequently lead a larger training cohort in the Philippines. This endeavor aims to significantly enhance the government’s digital service capabilities.
(el Amigo/MNM)
