BY: ANGELICA ARQUERO
In 2021, Marjorie took a chance and moved to Baguio City.
She shared that finding a job was difficult, especially since she only finished elementary school.
“The hardest part was applying in person. They would check if you had certain documents like PhilHealth, and you needed to get them because it was your first time applying,” said Marjorie Rodes, an employee.
After working as a dishwasher for two years, she became a cook in a hotel in Baguio City.
Even though she only earns minimum wage, she considers it a big help in supporting her family in Pangasinan.
Marjorie is just one of the many Filipinos who have found employment.
In fact, the country’s unemployment rate has dropped further.
From 4.4% in 2023, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
This means that only 1.94 million Filipinos remain unemployed, compared to 2.19 million in 2023.
Something that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. aims to reduce even further.
PBBM stated, “We are reducing the unemployment rate, with fewer and fewer unemployed Filipinos. But we are not stopping there because we also need to ensure that these jobs are quality jobs.”
During the two-day job fair by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Pasay City on January 29, the government presented various programs to further reduce unemployment.
Sec. Bienvenido Laguesma of DOLE emphasis, “Under the ‘Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act,’ we have a three-year plan, a six-year plan, and a ten-year plan.”
“We are monitoring emerging occupations to address and respond to developmental changes.”
At the same time, the government also aims to provide more job opportunities locally so that Filipinos won’t have to work abroad.
“There are several factors to consider, and we hope that overseas employment becomes just an option rather than a necessity,” Laguesma added.
