THE minority bloc in the House of Representatives urged Wednesday the Duterte administration to attend to other pressing issues plaguing the Filipino people, such as unemployment; and prioritize them in the same manner he did the war on drugs.
Minority leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, at a news conference, said President Rodrigo Duterte’s approach must transition from a local government perspective to that of a leader of a nation.
“With the resumption of the PNP’s campaign against illegal drugs, we are concerned that the needs of marginalized and unemployed sectors might receive less attention,” Suarez said.
Suarez said the increasing rates of unemployment and poverty had gone at an alarming level that needed an immediate attention of the administration.
“Hunger, poverty, and unemployment should be dealt with the same intensity and aggression as the war on drugs, if not more,” Suarez said.
“The government should exert more efforts on providing additional job opportunities and find creative, out-of-the-box alternatives to persons considered unemployable,” he added.
Suarez cited the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2017 joint report by different United Nations commissions which recognized the country for being one of Asia’s best economic performers, with an estimated seven-percent growth in September last year.
“We must see these numbers in light of the present unemployment rate to determine whether the recorded growth is ‘inclusive growth’,” Suarez said.
According to an SWS survey in December 2016, Suarez said, unemployment rate increased to 25.1 percent, which equates to 11.2-million adults jobless during the last quarter of 2016.
Suarez said: “This was deemed the worst in two years. The national annual average unemployment rate was 22.3 percent.
“Among the unemployed, 12.2 percent or 5.5-million people voluntarily left their jobs, 8.7 percent or 3.9-million people lost their jobs for economic reasons beyond their control, and 4.3 percent or 1.9-million people were first-time job seekers.”
The same survey showed an increased poverty level, with 44 percent of families considering themselves poor, while those who are food-poor increased four points from the September 2016 statistics, he added.
“Most of the unemployed belong to families in the marginalized sector. These people find it difficult to get jobs as they lack the required education or experience. If they are lucky, they get to work contractually as laborers,” Suarez said.
“Once their contract expires, they revert to being jobless. What these people need are regular jobs that offer fair salaries which will serve as a consistent source of income for their families,” he added.
Suarez said that while the statistics cited seem to favor the government, it is not real growth if a vast majority of our nation’s population wallow in poverty and endure hand-to- mouth existence.
“The rate of poverty, hunger and unemployment must decrease. Otherwise, we are a nation standing on a downward spiral,” Suarez stressed.
