Bam: Better job openings needed

CEBU, Philippines - As thousands of graduates will enter into the formal workforce this year, Senator Paulo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said that all sectors, not just the government, have to work together so that they can be given better job opportunities or become entrepreneurs themselves.

Aquino, who was the keynote speaker at the Rotary District Conference, said the youth sector has the most number of unemployed and underemployed individuals.

“We need to create more jobs because no matter what we do in the government, our poverty incidence will remain the same if our people have no jobs,” said Aquino.

Poverty, he added, remains a big challenge despite the country’s promising economic growth.

Aquino, president of Hapinoy —  a social enterprise that has been awarded around the world for its poverty alleviation program using innovations in micro-enterprise, micro-finance, and the Filipino staple, the sari-sari store — sees the need for young people to be trained on micro-entrepreneurship as one way of solving unemployment in the country.

Aquino believes “we have to be a nation of entrepreneurs as one way of freeing the people from poverty.”

“Ten years ago, the Philippines was called as the Sick Man of Asia but ten years later, the Philippines now is called as the Rising Tiger. Our economic growth is very high. In fact, we have the second highest growth next to China. But is this economic growth felt in the countryside? The answer is no,” said the multi-awarded social entrepreneur.

He said that the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises comprise 99 percent of the businesses and 66 percent of these are the ones giving employment to the Filipino people.

“But sadly, the SMEs have little support from the government. We have to continue to push for more support of the sector that generates jobs and in pushing for inclusive growth or malawakang kaunlaran,” he said.

As a senator, his bill, the Go Negosyo Bill is one of the five bills that were passed by the Senate for the last year.

The said bill aims to create Negosyo Centers all over the country. Set to be implemented in July this year, the bill names Cebu as one of its six pilot areas.

The Negosyo Centers comprise one processing system, access to financing, mentorship and mapping, youth training and networking.

“Ultimately, our goal is that as the Philippines grows, more Filipinos are able to grow with us. To do this, we need to create more jobs,” said the senator, who is a first cousin of President Benigno S. Aquino III. —/JMD (FREEMAN)