Posted at 11/04/2011 6:44 PM | Updated as of 11/04/2011 6:44 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino government is finding ways
to bring back overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and encourage potential
ones to stay in the country.
“That is the ultimate goal--that we have 10 million OFWs and we want them to be back here and the way to be able to do that is with the jobs that are available here,” President Benigno Aquino III said in the live interview on the YouTube Worldview series Friday.
The first question raised in the interview was by Rey Ambler. He asked, “Mr. President, what can you do so that Filipinos will start to work here and for our country instead of migrating and working abroad?”
“We’re trying to attract investors both domestic and international,” Aquino said, adding that his government is likewise tapping the outsourcing industry as one of its sources to be able to create more local jobs.
“Every time I go abroad, for instance, perhaps two-thirds of the entire mission is spent trying to get investors to come in. And we have had successes,” Aquino said.
China visit windfall
Among the accomplishments that Aquino cited was his recent trip to China, where he got billions of dollars in investments for the Philippines.
“The most recent is the state visit to China wherein we got about 1.2 or 1.8 billion dollars worth of new investments that conceivably can become about 11 to 12 billion,” he said.
The president said he was able to secure pledges from Chinese businessmen. “US$1.2 [billion] that are finished items already; $3.2 [billion] that need one or two details that have to be tackled; and $7.9 billion that is forthcoming. They are really, seriously, interested in investing and they are at the exploratory stage,” he said.
“The BPO industry will reach about 640,000 direct jobs this year, produces between 2-and-a-half to 5 jobs for every direct job, and they are venturing into areas in the countryside which have schools, which have the talent that they do need. It’s not a dream, but rather something that is already a reality. Areas are opening up because of these industries that we’re hoping to nurture,” he said.
Skills mismatch
At the same time, the government is also instituting reforms in the educational system and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Our DOLE has a website called phil-job.net that has something like 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available but are not being met because of skills mismatch.
Aquino said he already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DOLE to coordinate in order to prepare students for jobs that would be available upon graduation.
He explained that the trend is that students aim for jobs that are currently hot but are no longer in demand when they graduate.
“So we want to end that mismatch between the skills and job opportunities,” he said.
Aquino said there are other industries that can be a source of future growth for jobs aside from the outsourcing industry.
“One thing that has been a dream is also the manufacturing side and we're hoping to get that back. Again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country.
http://bit.ly/uTGDxt
“That is the ultimate goal--that we have 10 million OFWs and we want them to be back here and the way to be able to do that is with the jobs that are available here,” President Benigno Aquino III said in the live interview on the YouTube Worldview series Friday.
The first question raised in the interview was by Rey Ambler. He asked, “Mr. President, what can you do so that Filipinos will start to work here and for our country instead of migrating and working abroad?”
“We’re trying to attract investors both domestic and international,” Aquino said, adding that his government is likewise tapping the outsourcing industry as one of its sources to be able to create more local jobs.
“Every time I go abroad, for instance, perhaps two-thirds of the entire mission is spent trying to get investors to come in. And we have had successes,” Aquino said.
China visit windfall
Among the accomplishments that Aquino cited was his recent trip to China, where he got billions of dollars in investments for the Philippines.
“The most recent is the state visit to China wherein we got about 1.2 or 1.8 billion dollars worth of new investments that conceivably can become about 11 to 12 billion,” he said.
The president said he was able to secure pledges from Chinese businessmen. “US$1.2 [billion] that are finished items already; $3.2 [billion] that need one or two details that have to be tackled; and $7.9 billion that is forthcoming. They are really, seriously, interested in investing and they are at the exploratory stage,” he said.
“The BPO industry will reach about 640,000 direct jobs this year, produces between 2-and-a-half to 5 jobs for every direct job, and they are venturing into areas in the countryside which have schools, which have the talent that they do need. It’s not a dream, but rather something that is already a reality. Areas are opening up because of these industries that we’re hoping to nurture,” he said.
Skills mismatch
At the same time, the government is also instituting reforms in the educational system and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Our DOLE has a website called phil-job.net that has something like 50,000 to 60,000 jobs available but are not being met because of skills mismatch.
Aquino said he already tasked the Department of Education (DepEd) and the DOLE to coordinate in order to prepare students for jobs that would be available upon graduation.
He explained that the trend is that students aim for jobs that are currently hot but are no longer in demand when they graduate.
“So we want to end that mismatch between the skills and job opportunities,” he said.
Aquino said there are other industries that can be a source of future growth for jobs aside from the outsourcing industry.
“One thing that has been a dream is also the manufacturing side and we're hoping to get that back. Again, we want to go everywhere where there are prospects for our people to have jobs in this country.
http://bit.ly/uTGDxt
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