The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said it is ramping up its efforts to drive job creation and address the lingering effects of the pandemic on the country’s workforce.
Building on the success of its 2022 initiative that generated 1 million jobs, ECOP said it is now aiming for greater employment, targeting more than a million new opportunities, with a focus on underserved sectors such as the informal workforce.
ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis is optimistic about future opportunities, emphasizing the organization’s renewed commitment to job creation.
“If you remember in 2000, we set a target of 1 million jobs. While we didn’t meet that goal by the end of the year, we managed to hit it by March of 2022,” Ortiz-Luis said in a pre-event briefing Tuesday for the upcoming 50th anniversary of ECOP.
“The program was initially paused with the change in administration, but with the support of the President’s advisors, we’ve revived it and are now pushing forward with even more ambitious targets,” he said.
Ortiz-Luis highlighted the partnership with various industry groups as a key to achieving the new goal. Unlike previous years, where specific job targets were set, the initiative will be ongoing, ensuring long-term growth in the employment sector.
A major focus of the new initiative is the informal sector, which includes farm workers, fisherfolk and other groups typically outside the formal labor market.
Ortiz-Luis said many workers in these areas have irregular incomes and lack access to formal employment benefits.
“ECOP’s expanded efforts will aim to integrate these individuals into more stable, regularized employment, helping to further push past the 1 million jobs created during the pandemic recovery,” he said.
One critical aspect of the program is the use of artificial intelligence to help match jobseekers with available opportunities. ECOP teamed up with job portal JobStreet which employs AI to match resumes with suitable job openings.
The online platform is particularly beneficial for job seekers, such as the 12,000 recent graduates from the government’s 4Ps program, who face challenges in navigating the competitive job market.
“We saw how difficult it would be for 12,000 applicants to find jobs all in one location, like a job fair. So, we developed an online platform that utilizes AI to help connect jobseekers with employers more efficiently,” Ortiz-Luiz said.
