Lack of jobs and livelihood.

Barkadahan Party-list 1st nominee Ren Pasco said these are currently the biggest problems besseting the country, which for the past two years has been grappling with the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
"In our sorties the past months, in our talks...with our countrymen around the Philippines, we have realized that the biggest challenge faced by many Filipinos is the loss of jobs and their livelihood," she said in her speech Saturday, Feb. 26 during the party-list’s rally at Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City.
Pasco said these are "critical issues" that have to be addressed during these "troubling times".
The aspiring congresswoman underscored her party-list’s desire to give focus to skills-matching and livelihood programs that effectively mirror the needs of the communities. She said Barkadahan also wishes to partner up with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to carry out programs for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
She said the MSMEs that would benefit from these efforts should give importance to local products.
If elected to a House seat in May 2022, Barkadahan Party-list said it would push for quicker regularization for employees in both the public and private sector via a proposed amendment to the Labor Code.
The group is also backing proposals for an expanded work-from-home set-up for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in terms of gadgets and Internet connectivity as a response to the changing work environment.
Lastly, the party-list is also batting for better work placement programs that allow employees to work closer to home. This will allow them to spend more time with their families.
"No one has ever risen from the depths of poverty alone. There must be someone willing to champion their cause," Pasco said.
Barkadahan Party-list started as a youth movement in 1993. It highlighted the role of the youth in nation-building and social change.
Since then, members of the movement have served different offices across provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In 2017, the party-list was revived and strengthened as an apolitical body empowering local communities, youth, and women.