Fewer jobless Filipinos in 2017 — Abella

Abella assured the safety and protection of migrant Filipino workers currently in Guam following North Korea’s airstrike threat on the US territory. (PNA PHOTO)

MANILA, Aug. 10— Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Thursday announced that joblessness in the country continues to drop from 25.1 percent or 11.2 million in December 2016 to 22.2 percent or an estimated 10.5 million in June 2017.

Abella said the development is an affirmation of the Duterte administration’s gains towards “a more robust, inclusive and sustainable economy.”

He said such gains translate to “more jobs and more money in the pockets of more Filipinos leading towards a comfortable life for all.”

Meanwhile, Abella assured the safety and protection of migrant Filipino workers currently in Guam following North Korea’s airstrike threat on the US territory.

Abella said the government is prepared with contingency plans in case the North Korean government pursues its threat to launch missiles aimed at the waters off the coast of Guam.

“Well, as far as I know, especially regarding Filipinos in Guam, the embassies and consulates in general — including the one in Agana, Guam — have contingency plans which are regularly updated to enable them to respond to emergencies,” Abella noted.

“So in other words, it’s pretty automatic that if there are any threats, especially for those who are in affected areas, they have contingency plans for those things,” he added.