DBM commits to boost jobs opportunities

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is committed to strengthening projects aimed at enhancing employment opportunities in the country.

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the job-enhancing initiatives of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have been allocated a proposed budget of P5.76 billion for 2024.

Three programs under DOLE and TESDA will receive increased funding next year, the DBM said. 

One of these programs is the Government Internship Program (GIR), which provides three to six months of internship opportunities for individuals interested in public service and working for the local or national government. The program aims to assist 13,554 young workers.

For 2024, the proposed budget for the internship program is P807.716 million, higher than this year's P707.7 million.

To participate in the GIP, one must be 18 to 30 years old and be a high school, technical-vocational, or college graduate.

Individuals with no prior job experience or those who are living in catastrophe or calamity-stricken areas and are 30 to 35 years old may also take part in the program.

The Special Program for Employment of Students is another existing project under DOLE. 

It provides temporary employment to less fortunate students who are 15 to 30 years old, out-of-school youth, and displaced or would-be-displaced workers during the holidays. This is to increase their household income to ensure that they are able to continue pursuing their education.

This year, over 72,109 beneficiaries were accommodated and is expected to reach 99,983 Filipino youth next year.

Lastly, JobStart Philippines is a program that trains, provides paid internships, and gives out full-cycle employment facilitation services to boost job security for the youth.

This plans to increase the number of beneficiaries from 1,200 this year to 5,676 next year.

Persons who graduated high school and are aged 18 to 24 years old without education, employment, or training can avail of this program.

A budget of P205.1 million was proposed for the year 2024, which is also P162 million higher compared to the budget of P43.040 million of the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) budget.

“[This is] attesting to the current Administration’s resolve to reduce poverty, boost infrastructure, reinforce human capital development, and attain upper middle-income status by 2025,” said Pangandaman during the UP School of Economics Program on Development Economics.

Meanwhile, P1.8 billion is allocated to modernize TESDA’s Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education Training System (SIPTVETS).

SIPTVETS aims to improve the training facilities and equipment and trainers to teach higher-level skills and abilities required in job-searching. (Gabriell Christel Galang)