By Junex Doronio

MANILA — In line with the Trabaho Para sa Bayan  Act signed in In 2023 by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) will conduct regional consultations to realize this goal.

It was gathered that the Trabaho Para sa Bayan plan is a 10-year employment roadmap that would help generate at least three million jobs by 2028.

“[I]to na ‘yung na-submit sa Pangulo, ‘yung tatagos sa term niya. May karagdagan pang apat na taon para matugunan ang mandato ng batas na  10-year national employment masterplan,” DOLE Secretary Bienvenido  Laguesma disclosed on Sunday (30 June 2024) when interviewed by Super Radyo dzBB.

To recall, in 2023 Marcos Jr. signed the Trabaho Para sa Bayan  Act, which also aims to provide support to micro, small, and medium enterprises and industry stakeholders.

Laguesma noted that industries in health-related services, tourism, construction,  Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing, energy,  agriculture, education, and the creative industries could generate jobs for Filipinos.

“Malaking bahagi ng panggagalingan ng de  kalidad na trabaho ay nasa manufacturing. Syempre bahagi din yung  transportation and logistics,” Laguesma pointed out.

He added that the Trabaho Para sa Bayan plan also aims to give job opportunities to marginalized and vulnerable sectors such as persons deprived of liberty, the youth and women.

(el Amigo/mnm)

MANILA – In response to the slight increase in headline inflation in May, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) stated that the government is ramping up measures to tackle persistent inflationary pressures.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan affirmed, “The government will persist with sustainable policy reforms aimed at addressing both food and non-food inflation drivers. Our goal is to uphold a macroeconomic environment conducive to fostering investment and creating high-quality employment opportunities – one that supports achieving the development targets set for the Marcos administration by 2028.”

Balisacan’s remarks followed a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicating that headline inflation rose marginally to 3.9 percent in May from 3.8 percent in April but showed a decrease compared to the 6.1 percent recorded in May of last year.

“To manage food inflation, promote policy stability and investment planning, as well as enhance food security,” Balisacan said “the NEDA Board has concurred on reducing rice duty rates from 35 percent to 15 percent for both in-quota and out-quota imports until 2028.”

Additionally, the NEDA Board extended reduced tariff rates on corn, pork, and mechanically deboned meat under Executive Order series of EO-50-2023 until 2028.

Balisacan underscored that “the approval of the new Comprehensive Tariff Program for 2024-2028 by The NEDA Board is a strategic move aimed at ensuring access and affordability of essential commodities while maintaining equilibrium among consumer interests, local producers’ needs, and economic considerations,” he emphasized. He also acknowledged recognizing the imperative requirement of modernizing agriculture sector practices to support farmers effectively.

(Rep. by El Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — It’s just like looking at the glass of water as half-full when a top official of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expressed optimism that the country under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will achieve a single digital poverty rate by 2028.

This was aired by NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon who noted that the country’s labor market recovered quickly following the reopening of the economy battered by the Covid-19 pandemic because of the available skills of the Filipino workforce.

“So, ang kailangan mo lang talaga is ibalik kaya lang nakita rin natin nagkakaroon din ng restructuring in other countries pati sa atin tama din iyon kasi nga nag-iba na rin talaga iyong panahon ngayon at kailangan lang nating mabilis na mag-adjust dito. So, iyon ang nakikita namin,” Edillon said during a recent news forum.

When asked if the nine percent poverty rate by 2028 is attainable, the NEDA official confidently replied in the affirmative.

“Yeah. Tingin namin kasi blip talaga iyong 2021 dahil nga sa COVID. So, nakita naman na rin natin iyong parang what worked before and that was really kailangan mo talaga ng economic growth and then make sure na itaas mo iyong inclusiveness of the growth,” Edillon said.

She further observed that, unlike other disasters, the pandemic did not ruin infrastructure or capital.

“Noong dati po ang pagiging inclusive natin is marami po talaga iyong naging social assistance natin sa baba. Ang kagandahan naman po doon itong social assistance na ito kaakibat po rin nito iyong sa education, sa healthcare and then sa training,” Edillon said.

(ai/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Rosemarie Edillon, Undersecretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), on Saturday (09 Dec 2023) asserted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s imposition of a rice price ceiling has played a significant role in alleviating the country’s food inflation rate.

Edillon shared her insights during a news forum in Quezon City when questioned about the impact of the President’s price cap on rice.

“The rice price cap was implemented in September. So, these prices are as of November, and we are aware that towards the end of September and October, there was already a harvest,” Edillon explained. “So, yes, these factors are intertwined.”

The NEDA official emphasized that along with the government’s rice price cap, the suspension of pass-through fees by local government units (LGUs) also contributed to the reduction in the cost of essential goods.

Edillon highlighted that despite the goal of maintaining rice at P20 per kilo under current conditions, the President’s decision to adjust the buying price for fresh palay has proven beneficial for many farmers.

“The buying price increased to around P23, P25 – there are even instances of P25. That’s for palay, not yet rice. So, our farmers gained significant profit,” she remarked.

Furthermore, Edillon proposed demand management as a measure to help lower rice prices for consumers.

(ai/mnm)