(MANILA BULLETIN)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez hailed the creation of 2.6 million new jobs at the start of 2025, but underscored that the government's true goal is sustained quality employment for Filipinos.

Pointing to the results of the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS), Romualdez said on Saturday, March 8 that the figures were a clear indication that government programs are effectively boosting food security and rural development. 

However, he stressed that while these gains are encouraging, sustained and long-term efforts are necessary to ensure that employment growth is inclusive and resilient across all sectors.

“Hindi sapat na basta magdagdag ng trabaho. Ang kailangan natin ay mga trabahong may seguridad, disenteng kita, at may pag-asang umasenso. Dapat nating pagtuunan ng pansin ang paglikha ng oportunidad na magbibigay ng mas magandang kalidad ng buhay para sa ating mga manggagawa,” Romualdez emphasized.

(Simply generating more jobs isn't enough. What we need are jobs with security, decent pay, and career advancement. We need to focus on the creation of opportunities that will provide our workers with a better quality of life.)

He called for strong collaboration among government agencies, businesses, and labor groups to craft policies that will sustain economic growth and job creation.

“Hindi tayo titigil hangga’t ang bawat Pilipino ay may pagkakataong umasenso sa sariling pagsisikap. Ang ating trabaho sa gobyerno ay tiyakin na ang paglakas ng ating ekonomiya ay hindi lamang panandalian, kundi pundasyon ng mas matatag at maliwanag na kinabukasan para sa ating bansa,” Speaker Romualdez concluded. 

(We will not stop until every Filipino gets the opportunity to get ahead in life through his or her own industriousness. It is our job in government to ensure that the booming of the economy isn't just temporary, but a chance to create a foundation for the country’s strong and bright future.)

Citing the March 6 LFS released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Romualdez noted that the agriculture and forestry sector recorded the highest job increase, adding 883,000 new jobs in January. 

This was followed by wholesale and retail trade, including motor vehicle and motorcycle repairs, which gained 850,000 jobs; accommodation and food service activities with 533,000 jobs; and transportation and storage with 141,000 jobs.

“These figures reflect the effectiveness of our policies in expanding employment opportunities. The rising labor force participation rate, now at 63.9 percent from 61.1 percent a year ago, is a sign of economic resilience. More Filipinos are joining the workforce, with a notable increase in youth employment, from 29.7 percent to 31.8 percent,” Romualdez said.