Gov’t can absorb the largest sector of unemployed – Recto

MANILA, Philippines – Government should fill a “significant portion” of the 218,639 job vacancies it has in national government offices as a means of easing joblessness, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto said.

The bureaucracy, according to him, can absorb the largest sector of the country’s pool of unemployed – some 536,072 who have college diplomas. (READ: Fewer unemployed Filipinos in 2015)

“There’s a huge talent pool which can be tapped,” Recto said in a press statement released Saturday, January 16. He disclosed that of the 1,513,695 total permanent job positions in the national government, only 1,295,056 will be occupied this year, leading to a vacancy of 218,639 positions. The number excludes unfilled personnel items in local governments and government corporations.

Congress has allocated P16.9 billion ($353 million) in the 2016 national budget to fund some but not all unfilled items, while P7.7 billion ($161 million) has likewise been authorized for new positions.

Open slots

The Department of Education (DepED) and the Department of Health (DoH) will be taking in a large number of personnel this year, with the DepED creating 63,320 teaching positions and the DOH taking in 21,118 positions – including 946 doctors, 15,727 nurses, 3,100 midwives, 308 medical technologists, and 324 dentists – at a payroll cost of P7 billion ($146 million)

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) needs 1,396 civil engineers, while the Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking to fill 22,684 non-commissioned officer items.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also needs project development officers who can help manage its growing social protection portfolio.

The dimension of unfilled positions

Recto said a reading of the Staffing Summary, which documents the number of personnel in the national government, shows “the dimension of unfilled positions.”

“While not all of these slots must be filled urgently, in fact there may be no need to fill some of them, for reasons of efficiency and economy, they still show career opportunities in public service for those with the qualifications and the drive to take them,” Recto said.

These include 64,963 vacant positions withing the DepED, 4,633 unfilled positions within the Department of Agriculture, 2,729 vacant fireman positions in the Bureau of Fire Protection, and 1,108 vacancies within the Coast guard, among others. Not all of these positions will be filled due to redundancies.

“Besides,” Recto added, “it takes taxpayer’s money to fund them. Money saved on payroll can be used for operations and projects.” Frontline agencies and offices with critical functions, however, “must be occupied by warm bodies, in the interest of public service.”

According to the government’s October 2015 Labor Force Survey, 32% of the estimated 2.372 million unemployed were in the 25-34 age bracket. Of these, 35.9% attended college, with 22.6% – or 536,072 – completing college.

Academics and labor leaders, however, have pointed out that the real unemployment rate is likely higher if the underemployed – some 7.021 million in the October job count – are counted. This would bring the number of jobless to 9.393 million, or 23.3% of the country’s workforce. – Rappler.com