BLE NewsFeed / VOL. 8 NO. 3SEPTEMBER 2019

�e Bureau of Local Employment Quarterly Highlights

Department of Labor and EmploymentBUREAU OF LOCAL EMPLOYMENT

6F First Intramuros BF Condominium, Solana St. cor. A. Soriano Ave.,Intramuros, Manila | (02) 528-0087 | ble.dole.gov.ph

PREPARING THE PH LABOR FORCE FOR INDUSTRY 4.0

“�e advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) may further deepen the skills mismatch in the Philippines,” DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) Director Dominique Rubia-Tutay said during the Capacity Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Sta� (CBILLS) held at the House of Representatives last 29 August 2019. �e activity was organized by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) which focused on the theme “Future of Work on FIRe (Fourth Industrial Revolution): Implications on Philippine Labor Force.”

Citing Oxford Economics and CISCO’s Technology and the future of ASEAN jobs, Director Rubia-Tutay said that the chang-ing landscape of the labor market challeng-

es our work-force to, “familiarize themselves with new devices and s o � w a r e applications and to fundamen-tally change the nature of their job.” �is is on top of the need for

so�er skills.

“FIRe strengthens the need for a more holistic development of skills starting from higher education and/or training towards gainful employment. �e government has adopted priority strategies to address this concern, as espoused in Chapter 10 (Human Capital Development) of the Philippine Development Plan,” shared Director Tutay, who also noted the risk of an increased number of workers with mental health and psychological crisis, particularly those involved in content moderation who are exposed to sensitive media for eight (8), or even more, working hours per day.

Director Tutay also discussed various

�e Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) demonstrated its determination to address the rise of illegal foreign workers in the country by conduct-ing a rigorous seminar for newly hired labor inspectors.

From 12-13 September 2019, the newly hired labor inspectors were given a crash course on various laws regarding labor standards and the employment of foreign workers at Blulane Hotel, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Central to the many topics dealt with during the seminar was Department

Order 186-17, which details the rules governing the issuance of Alien Employment Permits (AEPs) to foreign nationals looking to work in the country.

“Be careful, there is a lot of things happen-ing in the �eld,” warned Atty. Erwin Aquino, Assistant Regional Director of DOLE-NCR, “If you allow yourself to be swayed, pupulutin kayo sa kangkungan (you will �nd yourself in the gutters).” Drawing from decades’ worth of experi-ence, he reminded the new hires to work with integrity, “How you conduct yourself

DOLE initiatives to help capacitate the Filipino workforce and prepare them for FIRe. One of these initiatives is the publication of the JobsFit 2022 Labor Market Information (LMI) Report which provides LMI on industries that will create jobs and the skills needed for the future. It is aimed at helping students and jobseekers make informed education, training, and career choices. It also serves as an aid to policy decision-making for both the public and private sector. Another DOLE program is the Philippine Talent Map Initiative (PTMI) which examines the current trends and issues that both academe and industry face in terms of workforce development.

Aside from the continuous provision of relevant and timely LMI, the BLE also provides employment facilitation services through PhilJobNet, Public Employment Service O�ces (PESOs), and the conduct of regular job fairs (Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan). Programs aimed at the youth are also being implemented (JobStart, Special Program for Employment of Students, and Government Internship Program).

In closing, Director Tutay challenged the participants to consider policies focusing on human capital development and safety nets for workers that may be impacted by FIRe.

before a client re�ects on the department.”

O�cers from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Professional Regulations Commission, and the Bureau of Immigration were also invited as resource speakers to explain the di�erent policies and procedures that regulate the granting of work permits to foreign nation-als.

According to Rosalinda Pineda, Chief Labor and Employment O�cer of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), there was a need to drastically increase the manpower of DOLE in order to accommo-date the inspection of more than 900,000

Continued on next page.

NEW SET OF LABOR OFFICERS UNDERGO TRAINING TO CURB RISE IN ILLEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS

EDITORIAL BOARD

Dir. Dominique Rubia-TutayJohn Christopher LapizMyka Rose TronoLor Alfonso

TEXT & LAYOUT

Lor AlfonsoShiela Marie EdubasStephanie Jaurigue

DOLE Acting Secretary Ana C. Dione, speaking in behalf of Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, opened the forum with an overview of its objectives. She talked about the importance of anticipating the e�ects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the workforce and preparing for the changes it brings. She underscored the role of the government in curtailing its negative impact and making the most of its potential. �e forum, she said, was an opportunity for partners to have their input put on the record and given consideration during future discussions.

In a presentation entitled 'Work For A Brighter Future: �e Future of Work in the Philippines' Dianne Lynn Respall of the ILO discussed the characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on the country. Citing the challenges of the transforming world of work, she emphasized the need for people-centered development which will require investing in people's capacity, investing in the institutions of work, and investing in decent and sustainable work.

Following the overview on Industry 4.0, the government's perspective was addressed by the represented agencies. Director Maria Teresita M. Semana presented CHED's initiatives and responses to Industry 4.0. She highlighted the delivery of new higher education programs developed by the Commission to address jobs-skills mismatch, as well as its renewed focus on research and innovation in an e�ort to meet the demands of swi�ly transforming industries.

Charlyn B. Justimbaste from TESDA discussed the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training in addressing the needs of emerging markets, as well as the role it plays in retraining and skills development. Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba of DTI reviewed Industry 4.0's potential implications on industries, and identi�ed top priority industries for both domestic and export markets. DICT representative Dir. Emmy Lou Versoza-Del�n described how her department strives to provide digital opportunities for Filipinos through digitalPH, their umbrella program dedicated to countryside development.

From the private sector, Antonio Ll. Sayo of ECOP put forward the principle of Industry-Driven Demand Analysis,

Work-Based Learning, Talent-Need Projections. IndustriALL representative Ramon Certeza, on the other hand, stressed the need for a ‘Just Transition’ or “a complete package of sustainable industrial policies and social programs that will allow workers to bene�t from change, rather than bear its costs”.

A�er the presentations, the �oor was opened by moderator Director Raul M. Francia of DOLE Information and Publication Service for invited members of the media to raise questions and concerns to the assembled panel. Among the issues discussed were estimations of employment generated by Industry 4.0, the adoption of technology, worker displacement, and the integration of man and machine.

In her closing remarks, Director Dominique Rubia-Tutay of the BLE urged the body not to fear the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “We do not need to be afraid because we can reverse the situation. �e Fourth Industrial Revolution can be turned into an opportunity for our workers.”

She echoed the shared sentiment of the assembled panel that human capital should be at the center of the future of work, “All policies that impact investment and employment should be multidimensional and include social welfare and the protection of a�ected workers.”

�e Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 refers to how recent technological breakthroughs in arti�cial intelligence, robotics, Internet of �ings, and the like, have brought about drastic changes to contemporary living. Last 31 July 2019 at the Century Park Hotel, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), gathered together representatives from government and private organizations to discuss their respective establishment's operative and prospective initiatives directed at adapting to the fast transforming labor market. Speakers from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), presented in behalf of the government; and representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), and IndustriALL Global Union, presented for the private sector.

DOLE CONDUCTS DIALOG ON GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR INDUSTRY 4.0 INTERVENTIONS

BLE NewsFeed /

NEW SET OF LABOR OFFICERS...Continued from preceding page.

companies that may have foreign workers in their employ and ensure their compli-ance with labor laws. “DOLE asked Congress to provide a budget for additional inspectors,” Division Chief Pineda added, reiterating DOLE’s commitment to preventing instances of companies illegally hiring foreign nationals.

DOLE Acting Secretary Ana C. Dione addresses the assembled body during the forum on the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Dir. Raul M. Francia of DOLE-IPS receives questions from invited members of the media

DOLE-BLE Director Dominique Rubia-Tutay delivers her closing remarks