The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Tuesday it expects to complete the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) plan by the fourth quarter of 2024.
The agency is formulating the TPB plan, following the completion of its implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
“Our next task is to develop the Trabaho Para sa Bayan plan, which will serve as the country’s master plan for generating employment and creating high-quality jobs,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
“We encourage our partners in government, the private sector, employees’ and employers’ organizations, informal sector workers and other vulnerable groups to actively participate in the upcoming consultations for the development of this master plan,” he said.
The newly-enacted TPB Act mandates the creation of a master plan for national employment generation focused on increasing both the number and quality of employment opportunities in the country and enhancing the employability of Filipinos.
Prior to the ceremonial signing, NEDA conducted a public consultation for the development of the final IRR. During this process, representatives from employees, employers, the informal sector and vulnerable groups provided their inputs and comments.
“Last September 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed into law the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, an important piece of legislation that aims to increase the income-earning ability of our fellow Filipinos by boosting employability, improving the quality of employment, and establishing shared labor market governance,” Balisacan said.
Balisacan said the TPB plan would address issues to achieve inclusive and quality employment. The results of the January 2024 Labor Force Survey revealed that several factors affected labor market participation.
These factors include women’s return to household duties as more employers gradually transition back to on-site work arrangements, age-related restrictions, permanent disabilities and schooling.
“Our pursuit of policies will be adaptive to the responsibilities of female workers and the evolving work landscape, with a focus on supporting vulnerable sectors, including those in the creative industry,” Balisacan said.
The IRR will be available on the Official Gazette within 15 days from its signing on March 12.