National Employment Strategy at “End of Endo”, Priority Bills ni Villanueva

Naghain na si Sen. Joel Villanueva ng 20 na panukalang batas para sa ika-19 na Kongreso ngayong araw (Hulyo 4) bilang pagpapatuloy ng kanyang adbokasiya at pangako noong kampanya para sa paglikha at seguridad sa trabaho.

“Trabaho pa rin po ang trabaho natin sa Senado sa ating pangalawang termino. Oportunidad at kasiguruhan sa trabaho po ang ating isinusulong sa mga panukalang ito para sa katatagan ng bayan laban sa kahirapan at anumang krisis,” sabi ni Villanueva.

Nangunguna sa listahan ng senador ang “Trabaho Para Sa Lahat ng Pilipino Act” kung saan bubuuin ang isang National Employment Action Plan na magsisilbing direksyon ng gobyerno sa paglikha ng trabaho. Kasama sa National Employment Action Plan ang pagpapatuloy sa mga layunin ng National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) na ngayon ay pinapatupad ng NERS Task Force na pinamumunuan ng Department of Trade and Industry.

“Dahil hanggang ngayong taon lang po ang planong naitakda sa NERS, nais po nating palawigin ito at gawin itong National Employment Action Plan upang mahigitan pa ang target na paglikha ng 2 milyong trabaho sa mga susunod na taon. Dapat tuloy-tuloy lang po ang paglikha natin ng trabaho ayon sa umiiral na kalagayang socioeconomic habang humaharap sa anumang krisis,” sabi ni Villanueva.

Prayoridad din ni Villanueva ang “End of Endo” o Security of Tenure Act para sa mga manggagawa sa pribadong sektor.

“Noong 2016 pa po natin ipinaglaban na maging batas na ang Security of Tenure Act. Bagaman na-veto po ito, dumaan po ito sa mabusisi at komprehensibong konsultasyon sa lahat ng concerned sectors para patas ang batas para sa mga manggagawa at employer. Long overdue na po ito, kaya makikipagtulungan po tayo sa Department of Labor and Employment, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance, mga grupo ng mga manggagawa, mga business associations, at iba pang mga sektor para maipasa na po ang End of Endo bill,” sabi ng senador.

Nag-file din si Villanueva ng kahalintulad na panukala para sa regularisasyon ng mga empleyadong “casual” o “contractual” na nagtatrabaho nang mahigit limang taon sa mga national government agencies, at sa mga nagtatrabaho ng mahigit anim na taon sa mga local government units.

Maliban sa National Employment Action Plan, kabilang sa mga bagong panukala ni Villanueva ang pag-amyenda sa CREATE Law para payagan ang work from home scheme sa mga negosyo sa loob ng mga special economic zone, Expanded Unemployment Insurance Act, at paglalaan ng Php100 billion stimulus fund at wage subsidy para sa maliliit na negosyo sa ilalim ng MSME Stimulus Act.

Isinusulong din ni Villanueva ang kapakanan ng mga manggagawa sa kanyang mga panukalang batas gaya ng pagtatalaga ng Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD), Freelance Workers Protection Act, Alternative Working Arrangements Act, at Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.


Villanueva’s Priority Bills include National Employment Strategy and “End of Endo”

Sen. Joel Villanueva filed the first 20 of his priority bills for the 19th Congress today (July 4) to continue his advocacy and fulfill his campaign promises of job creation and security.

“For our second term, our job in the Senate is still jobs. We are pushing for job opportunities and job security through these proposed laws to strengthen our nation against poverty and any crisis,” Villanueva said.

Among Villanueva’s top priority bills is the “Trabaho Para Sa Lahat ng Pilipino Act” that establishes the National Employment Action Plan to set the government’s direction for job creation. The National Employment Action Plan will also continue the objectives of the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) that is currently being implemented by the NERS Task Force headed by the Department of Trade and Industry.

“Since the NERS set its targets only up to this year, we aim to extend it and transform it into the National Employment Action Plan to go beyond the target of creating 2 million jobs for the next few years. Job creation should be sustained based on the prevailing socioeconomic trends while facing any crisis,” the senator said.

Villanueva is also prioritizing the “End of Endo” or the Security of Tenure Act for workers in the private sector.

“We have been fighting for the passage of the Security of Tenure Act into law since 2016. Although it was vetoed, it went through rigorous and comprehensive consultations with all concerned sectors so that both workers and employers stand equally in the proposed law. This is already long overdue, which is why we will be working with the Department of Labor and Employment, National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Finance, workers groups, business associations, and other sectors for the passage of the End of Endo Act into law,” the senator said.

Villanueva filed a similar bill for the regularization of casual or contractual employees who have been working for more than 5 years in national government agencies, and those who have been working for more than 6 years in local government units.

Aside from the National Employment Action Plan, other new proposals from Villanueva include amending the CREATE Law to allow work from home schemes for businesses in special economic zones, the Expanded Unemployment Insurance Act, and a Php 100 billion stimulus fund and wage subsidy for small businesses under the MSME Stimulus Act.

Villanueva also re-filed other bills that advance the welfare of Filipino workers, such as the institutionalization of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced Workers Program (TUPAD), Freelance Workers Protection Act, Alternative Working Arrangements Act, and the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.