The next administration should prioritize generating opportunities for employment to the 75 million working-age Filipinos in the country, particularly the nearly four million who lost their jobs in an extended Covid-19 pandemic, senatorial candidate and Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Wednesday.

Escudero, who is seeking a Senate comeback in the May 2022 elections, said the government should spend its entire 2022 budget to fuel economic activity, which will in turn create jobs.

“Bilang miyembro ng Senado dati man o kung bibigyan ng pagkakataon, ang pinapasa namin ay batas. Kung pwede ko lang isabatas na lahat ng naghahanap ng trabaho ay mabibigyan ng trabaho, matagal na sana isinabatas iyan (As a former member of the Senate or if I have an opportunity to win again, we pass laws, and if I can legislate that all those looking for jobs will have a job, I could have made that into a law),” Escudero said.

“Pero ang trabaho ng Senado ay magpasa ng batas na magbibigay-daan dito gamit ang taunang budget at appropriation. Iyan ang magsisilbing tulay para muling bumangon ang ekonomiya at malagyan ng karampatang pondo ang mga sektor (But the job in the Senate is to pass laws that would pave way for this under the budget and appropriation. That would serve as a jump off point to revive the economy and provide funds for each sector),” he said.

“Dapat magsilbing recovery budget ang 2022 GAA para manumbalik ang trabaho, magbukas muli ang mga negosyo, at gumulong uli ang ating ekonomiya (the 2022 GAA should serve as a recovery budet to generate employment, more businesses to open and to keep the economy going),” he said.

Escudero also renewed his call for the national government to extend its economic and employment programs to underdeveloped regions, saying the jobless are not limited to urban centers in Metro Manila, CALABARZON and Central Visayas.

Citing the United Nations, he said there are 75 million Filipinos who are now under the working age, or 15 years old and above and this increases yearly by 600,000.

“Hindi lahat ng naghahanap ng trabaho nasa siyudad, kaya dapat ang recovery programs ng gobyerno ay ikalat din sa ibang parte ng bansa upang makapagbigay ng pantay na pagkakataong mag-negosyo at mag-trabaho ang bawat Pilipino, at sa gayon, pantay ding umangat ang ating ekonomiya (Not all those who are looking for jobs are in the cities, that’s why recovery programs of the government should be spread out in different parts of the Philippines, in order to provide equal opportunities to businesses and to Filipinos looking for jobs so that the country’s economy will also rise),” Escudero said.

Escudero said he is also banking on a United Nations (UN) report that highlights how the manufacturing sector could be a potential springboard for unskilled workers.

But the sector’s share in total employment has been stagnant at around 10 percent for over 50 years.

“With renewed economic activity, the manufacturing sector can hopefully begin to expand and the government can contribute to its growth,” Escudero stressed.