Palace vows to maintain momentum as employment rises

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

Castro said the administration will continue building on this momentum to generate more jobs nationwide. (Unsplash photo)

MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday highlighted the administration’s push to sustain momentum in employment growth, saying this reflects the ongoing government efforts to improve livelihood across the country.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the remarks after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the national employment rate rose to 96.1 percent in August from 94.7 percent in July.

“Hindi po kasi tumitigil ang pamahalaan at hindi rin po tumitigil ang ating Pangulo na maiangat ang kabuhayan ng bawat Pilipino (The government does not stop, and neither does our President in raising the livelihood of every Filipino),” Castro said.

“Mayroon po tayong mga job fairs na nagaganap para po mailapit natin ang mga trabaho sa ating mga kababayan. Isa po ito sa nagpapakita na patuloy po ang pag-aalaga ng ating Pangulo sa kapakanan ng bawat isa (We have ongoing job fairs to bring employment closer to our people. This is one way to show the President’s continued care for everyone’s welfare).”

Castro said the administration will continue building on this momentum to generate more jobs nationwide.

“So, maganda pong balita po iyan. At hindi po tayo nagtatapos diyan dahil patuloy pa rin po ang pagsisikap ng pamahalaan, ng Pangulo para po mas marami pa po tayong trabaho ang mai-generate para sa ating mga kababayan (So, that is good news. And we do not stop there because the government and the President will continue efforts to generate even more jobs for our people),” she said.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa earlier reported that the number of employed Filipinos in August, based on the latest Labor Force Survey, rose to 50.10 million, up from 46.05 million in the previous month.

Mapa said the services sector accounted for the largest share of total employment, at 61.5 percent, followed by agriculture at 20.4 percent and industry at 18.1 percent.