Central Visayas’ Labor Regional Director Johnson Canete |Photo grab of Irene Sino Cruz video
CEBU CITY—The Department of Labor and Employment and Employment (Dole-7) urges the Public Employment Service Office (Peso) in various local government units (LGUs) to help address the lack of skilled workers by identifying the available manpower base in their areas.
Lawyer Johnson Cañete, Dole Central Visayas regional director, confirmed that there is a shortage of skilled workers.
“Even the kasambahays (househelps) are hard to find,” said Cañete in a media briefing on Friday, February 15, where he also discussed about the labor department in Central Visayas’ thrust to strictly implement the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law.
Read more: Dole-7 to strictly implement Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law
President Duterte has blamed the lack of skilled workers as having caused the delay in his administration’s Build Build Build program.
The President issued this statement when he spoke during the proclamation and kick-off rally of his political party, Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, held in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
Because of the shortage, many Chinese nationals reportedly came to the Philippines to work in the construction projects.
Duterte has ordered the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to conduct trainings, specifically on carpentry, welding and other technical skills.
However, Cañete said that the local Peso could also help identify skilled workers in their areas.
He said that the labor shortage could have resulted from the high salaries offered for skilled labor by companies abroad.
According to Cañete, companies have to offer higher wages so as to bring back to the country the overseas Filipino workers. /dbs