300k workers lost jobs since Duterte took over, says think-tank

At least 300,000 Filipinos lost their jobs since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in June 2016, the IBON Foundation said Monday.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa said the number of employed individuals decreased to 40.7 million this year from 41 million in June 2016.

Africa said this was the reason why the many Filipinos were  reeling from skyrocketing prices of basic commodities due to the nine-year high 6.4 percent inflation rate since 

“Tignan natin ang data. 300,000 ang nawalan ng trabaho. Pinapakita lamang na nahihirapan ang ating agrikultura at iba pang industriya kaya mahal ang presyo ng pagkain. Nabawasan pa ang mga nagtatrabaho sa Pilipinas. Dun sa unemployment rate, hindi pa roon kasama 'yung mga walang trabaho na hindi na naghahanap ng trabaho sa loob ng anim na buwan,” Africa said in an interview with Balitanghali.

GMA News Online has sought comment from Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello but has yet to receive any as of posting time.

Africa was referring to government records released five days ago showing that the unemployment rate in the country went down by 5.4 percent.

“As of July 2018, 33,000 lang ang nadagdag na trabaho sa construction. 'Yan ay sa kabila ng Build, Build, Build program na issue rin ang absorptive capacity ng mag ahensya. Mas malaki pa nga [ang nadagdag na trabaho] sa public sector na umabot sa 76,000,” Africa said.

The Build, Build, Build programs aims to fund P1 trillion worth of infrastructure projects within the six-year tenure of President Duterte which ends on June 30, 2022.

“Hindi nasasapul ang problema. Walang inaamin ang gobyerno na may pagkakamali. Kailangan na maiwasto ito, at hindi lang panay band aid approach. Lahat naghahanap ng palusot kaya nakakalungkot,” Africa said.

Africa said that while the government could not control the price of oil in world market, the state should take steps in boosting the local agriculture sector and imposing price controls on basic goods, among others.

PSA data shows that the main drivers of inflation are prices of electricity, food, operation of transportation vehicle, among others.

The Duterte administration has already resulted to importation of seven million sacks of rice which are due to arrive in seven to eight weeks, importation of fish, as well as prioritizing of the release of food items in ports, among others, in an attempt to bring down food prices. —Llanesca Panti/NB, GMA News