Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte has called on fellow lawmakers to help boost the country’s economic reemergence by passing the proposed Balik Probinsiya, Balik Pagasa (BP2) bill that aims to boost development and create more jobs in the countryside.
“I urge my colleagues in the Congress to make a final push for the passage of the Balik Probinsiya bill to jumpstart economic recovery not only in Metro Manila, but in faraway communities where investments are badly needed to create more business opportunities and more jobs,” Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte issued his call for the swift approval of the Balik Probinsiya bill amid the release of the latest Job Displacement Report by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showing that 338,032 workers were displaced from January 1 to October 31 last year.
He said his Balik Probinsiya bill seeks to establish township revitalization programs nationwide to encourage people to return to their home provinces, which will in turn decongest Metro Manila.
“The growth of local economies will likewise bring in more financial institutions and services to rural communities, thus, boosting economic recovery and helping achieve President Duterte’s goal of financial inclusion among Filipinos, Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte issued his call for the swift approval of the Balik Probinsiya bill amid the release of the latest Job Displacement Report by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showing that 338,032 workers were displaced from January 1 to October 31 last year.
A separate report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said youth and women in the Philippines lost jobs in greater numbers during the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year, with young people accounting for a quarter of job cuts.
In the education sector, the youth represented half the job losses in the Philippines during the April to June period last year, despite accounting for just 17% of employment just before the pandemic, according to the ADB study.
He said his Balik Probinsiya bill seeks to establish township revitalization programs nationwide to encourage people to return to their home provinces, which will in turn decongest Metro Manila.
The ADB said young Filipinos also made up a third of job cuts in the accommodation and food service sector while representing a quarter of the workforce.
Women also recorded a greater share in job losses than their share in employment. Nearly one in four Filipino women in sales and services were laid off, as most businesses were temporarily shut during the lockdown n 2020.
