Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said on Saturday, March 9 that the full implementation of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) law can help address the country's unemployment woes.

Villanueva made the statement after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the unemployment rate increased to 4.5 percent--equivalent to 2.15 million jobless Filipinos--in January 2024 from 3.6 percent or 1.60 million jobless Filipinos in December 2023.

"It's lamentable that we seem to have more and more of our kababayans caught up in the cycle of joblessness. We must not stop finding ways to create more sustainable jobs and livelihood by placing employment at the heart of economic development," he said.

Villanueva announced the signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the TPB Act for next week. This signals the law's full rollout.

One of the key reforms introduced by the senator, TPB will create a national masterplan to address unemployment, underemployment, and youth unemployment.

He added that the new law will address the seasonality of employment, which gives work to individuals only during certain times of the year.

"While we acknowledge these types of jobs, we will continue to work for something that will give our workers security in the workplace and social protection, not to mention a fair income," he said.

Meanwhile, the majority leader recently sponsored in plenary the companion measure of the TPB, the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) bill. It's primary aim is to address the persistent problem of job-skills mismatch in the country by fostering partnership with the private sector in upskilling or retooling of the Filipino workforce.

Villanueva said the bill will help bridge job seekers to potential employers through the EBET program.