Pasay City: The Marcos administration has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative aimed at generating high-quality employment opportunities, enhancing the workforce, and securing the future of the country’s labor supply. The 10-year Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Plan 2025-2034, launched by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) alongside the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), seeks to transform the employment landscape in the Philippines.
According to Philippines News Agency, this long-term employment strategy fulfills the mandate of Republic Act 11962, known as the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, which calls for the establishment of a comprehensive national employment masterplan. A key objective of the 10-year blueprint is to boost the country’s labor force participation rate to 68.2 percent by 2034, a substantial increase from the current 64.9 percent in 2023, which is notably lower than other ASEAN countries.
At the launch event, DEPDev Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon noted that while the Philippines lags behind regional peers like Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand in terms of labor force participation rates, the government is committed to reducing unemployment to 3 percent and lowering underemployment to between 7 and 9 percent by 2034. These targets aim to improve upon last year’s unemployment rate of 3.8 percent and underemployment rate of 13.3 percent.
The TPB Plan outlines several priority strategies to achieve these targets. In the short and medium term, the government aims to attract more investors, enhance ease of doing business, promote technology adoption, facilitate school-to-work transitions, expand social protection programs, and increase participation in skills training, especially for priority groups.
DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan emphasized the importance of integrating socioeconomic goals into a cohesive strategy to benefit all Filipinos. He highlighted the need for adaptive policies that promote economic growth and support Filipino workers, creating an inclusive and dynamic labor market where citizens can access meaningful and quality jobs.
A key component of the plan is the accelerated adoption of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to boost workforce productivity. Edillon stressed the importance of this technological shift, while World Bank lead economist Gonzalo Varela noted that 35 to 37 percent of jobs in the Philippines could be impacted by generative AI. Varela emphasized the necessity of adopting AI and enhancing the skills of the local workforce to navigate these changes.
