Filipinos will have the first crack to fill up job vacancies under a “Filipino first” policy that presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao will put in place if elected to the highest position in the land.
Pacquiao made this vow which is part of his anti-poverty platform that will occupy the priority in his “to do” list as chief executive.
Famous for his rags-to-riches fortune, Pacquiao said he would strive to create a more favorable and more “welcoming climate” for foreign investments.
Aside from luring foreign capital into the country, Pacquiao also vowed to strengthen the micro, small and medium enterprises through more government help and business climate.
Speaking before a huge audience in Quezon City, Pacquiao said that while it is provided under the 1987 Constitution that the “State shall promote the preferential use of Filipino labor,” there is now a notable surge in the number of foreigners working in various businesses, especially in the offshore-gaming sector.
The country’s international boxing pride said that the government must reassert the Constitutional right of Filipinos to be prioritized for manpower pooling in all industries as he pointed out that job generation should be a top priority by the next administration.
“Hindi kasi maayos at malakas ang ekonomiya natin kaya walang maibibigay na trabaho. Nagsarado pa ang mga businesses natin na maliliit na dapat nagbibigay ng trabaho din. Ang kailangan natin palakasin natin ang ekonomiya. (We cannot offer jobs because our economy is not yet strong and well. Small businesses that offer jobs have closed down. We have to strengthen the economy),” Pacquiao told the cheering crowd during his QC visit.
Pacquaio said foreign investments can flourish in the Philippines considering its strategic position in the Pacific region but it cannot reach its full potential because of systemic corruption, high taxes, inefficient but expensive utility supply, and slow internet connection.
But because of his global connection, some investors are willing to put their stakes in the Philippines knowing fully well that he is dead-serious in his commitment to jail corrupt officials and end corruption in the Philippines.
Pacquiao vowed that if elected as president, a minimum of five wealthy businessmen friends who are into various fields of businesses around the world will definitely put up their businesses in the Philippines which would employ millions of Filipinos. He said that all of these new businesses will only employ Filipinos for their workforce.