Laguesma hopes DOLE budget retained as it sees P7-B cut next year

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma on Thursday expressed hope that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)'s budget for 2024 will be the same as 2023 as the agency faces a P7-billion budget cut next year.

During the House committee on appropriations hearing, Laguesma reported that the agency’s budget has been slashed by 14.9% or P7.049 billion—from the P47.200 billion under the 2023 General Appropriation Act (GAA) to P40.151 billion under the 2024 National Expenditure Program. 

Affected by the budget cut would be the Office of the Secretary (P6.128 billion decrease); Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA (P1.013 billion decrease); and the National Wages and Productivity Commission or NWPC (P10 million decrease).

Asked by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman whether the budget cut would affect DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program and Government Internship Program (GIP), Laguesma said the effects are yet to be seen in 2024.

“Pero I think siguro kung titignan natin doon sa reach dito sa pangkasulukuyang budget, nakakakita na po kami ng pangangailangan na sana po siguro medyo ma-retain man lang at nang makita natin kung paano pa kami makakapagbigay ng tulong,” the Labor chief said.

(But I think maybe if we look at the reach of our current budget, we can already see a need that hopefully, it can at least be retained so that we see how we can provide help more.)

Laguesma, however, stressed that the DOLE is in coordination with other agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to complement their budget.

“No doubt, mararamdaman din namin ang posibleng pagkabawas. Subalit nais kong sabihin na kino-complement namin 'yan through networking and partnership with the private sector and other government agencies,” he added.

(No doubt, we will feel the budget cut soon. But I want to say that we are complementing that through networking and partnership with the private sector and other government agencies.)

Laguesma said among the reasons there was a decline in the sought DOLE budget in 2024 was the increase in turnover rate of employees to other agencies or companies.

“Ang isang kadahilanan, ‘yung plantilla positions of on-site welfare services for OFWs ay napunta na po sa Department of Migrant Workers,” he added.

(One reason was that the plantilla positions of on-site welfare services for OFWs were transferred to the Department of Migrant Workers.)

He said the budget allocation for the TUPAD Workers Program also went down from P19.426 billion in 2023 to P12.919 billion in 2024.

There was also a decrease in the Training and Scholarship Program fund of TESDA, and limited provision for the general expenses for the conduct of licensure examination and communication expenses of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Laguesma also expressed hope that the 2024 budget would be increased to give the youth more employment opportunities.

“Akin lang talagang isinusulong talaga ‘yung mga increases do’n sa mga programa na may kinalaman sa youth employability training. 'Yun ang mahalaga para sa DOLE para masundan natin ang pangangailangan ng namumuhunan na potensyal,” he said.

(I am pushing for budget increases in the programs related to youth employability training. That is important for DOLE so that we can follow the needs of the potential investors.)

Of the sought P40.151 billion budget next year, the Labor chief said P20.927 will go to the Office of the Secretary, while the remaining P19.224 billion will go to DOLE’s attached agencies.

Allocations for the PRC, National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), and Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), meanwhile, increased.—AOL, GMA Integrated News