ECOP job creation program focuses on informal sector

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s umbrella group of employers is reviving a job creation program that will include those in the informal sector.

In a press conference, Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the program would be a continuation of an initiative implemented in 2021 aimed at creating one million jobs to help the economy recover from the pandemic.

He said the program was discontinued following the change of administration, but revived through the initiative of the Private Sector Advisory Council.

This time around, Ortiz-Luis said the program would target even those in the informal sector or without regular income.

“What we would like to be able to do is create enough jobs to be able to accommodate them,” he said.

At present, Ortiz-Luis said those in the services sector like restaurants and tourism are able to hire workers from the informal sector.

“What we will be doing is matching. We will talk to the companies that are willing to do that,” he said.

ECOP deputy director general Jelermina Abigail Roxas-Gorospe said the group is also pursuing other initiatives this year as it marks its 50th anniversary.

“We will be launching a platform for employment facilitation. So this will concretize our policy advocacy on job generation,” Roxas-Gorospe said.

ECOP is also preparing to launch programs to support ESG or environmental, social and governance practices.

In addition, ECOP plans to leverage artificial intelligence  through the launch of AI chatbot ECOP Navigate, which members can use for labor and employment issues.

Ortiz-Luis said ECOP has played an active role in helping address employment and social policy issues in the country, while empowering employers, promoting responsible business practices and fostering harmonious labor-management relations.

“Looking ahead, ECOP is more determined than ever to take on a leading role in shaping a fair, sustainable and inclusive labor landscape, ensuring that our nation remains on a path of progress, driven by strong, responsible employers who continue to build a better Philippines for all,” he said.