If the Marcos administration is truly determined to ease, if not completely erase, poverty and lead the country to its aspired goal of upper middle-income status, it must create at least two million new net jobs per year to ensure that all people are gainfully earning income.
This was the suggestion of Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas Tutor (Bohol, 3rd district), who chairs the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation of the House, cited the OCTA Research Group of UP's survey that says self-rated poverty now stands at 11.1 million.
Wiping out poverty by creating jobs for the poor and hungry is a daunting mission that would take many years to do.
"I believe the goal should be creating at least 2 million net new jobs every year to bring down 11.1million self-rated poor to 5 million in 4 to 7 years," she said in a statement.
"As I said in my recent speech at the International Women’s Day at the House, it is easier to create jobs for women. Housewives can work part-time from home or in their neighborhoods. Micro enterprises, social enterprises, and online selling will suit the particular circumstances of housewives," she continued.
For single adult women and older teenagers, seasonal employment can help, but they need permanent jobs more, so seasonal employment should be oriented toward giving them work that qualifies them for stable, permanent jobs, she added.
Temporary and seasonal jobs can only improve the poverty and job statistics in passing. Sustainable low-investment livelihood programs are among the permanent solutions.
This is where the Small Business Corporation (SBC) and other government financial institutions can have the most impact.
This year, the national government subsidy to SBC is P1 billion. This subsidy can be increased in the 2025 budget if the SBC can prove it has the absorptive capacity to process P2 billion or more worth of microlending and small loans.
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