Villanueva: Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act gets Senate nod

PHILIPPINES, June 2 - Press Release
May 31, 2022

Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act gets Senate nod

The Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1834, or the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, which aims to prepare the Filipino workforce for the jobs of the future through education and training on digital skills.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, principal author and principal sponsor of the measure, said that the law supports the need for the Filipino

workforce to be globally competitive with the development of digital careers amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution

"Life is digital. Kailangan po tayong makipagsabayan. We need to catch up and jump on board because the movement to digital life is fast and real. Kailangan po natin ng legal framework or paradigm na magtatahi o magsisinsin ng lahat ng efforts at initiatives ng pamahalaan para sa digital competitiveness ng manggagawang Pilipino," said Villanueva.

S.B. No. 1834 establishes an Inter-Agency Council for Development and Competitiveness of Philippine Digital Workforce that will lead the promotion, development and enhancement of the competitiveness of the country's digital workforce through various initiatives, as well as encourage digital innovation and entrepreneurship. Working under a unified government framework, the Inter-Agency Council will be led by the National Economic Development Authority, and will be comprised of representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Information and Communication Technology, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Under the proposed law, the government may enter into public-private partnerships with industry experts, IT-BPO associations, private companies, and other stakeholders to plan and implement training, skills development, and certification programs for digital careers.

The bill mandates that local government units, with the help of Public Employment Service Offices, should formulate local policies that support and promote the growth and development of digital technology as well as digital careers and innovations in their respective communities.

The chair of the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development said that S.B. No. 1834 is the latest measure that refines and attunes the country's employment and education policies with the opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Villanueva was the main proponent of laws that support such policy, such as the Telecommuting or Work From Home Law, Philippine Qualifications Framework Law, and the Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program or Tulong Trabaho Law.

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Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, pasado na sa Senado

Inaprubahan na sa Senado sa third and final reading ang Senate Bill No. 1834, o ang Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, na naghahanda sa manggagawang Pilipino para sa mga makabagong trabaho sa pamamagitan edukasyon at training ng digital skills.

Sinabi Sen. Joel Villanueva, ang principal author at principal sponsor ng panukalang batas, na sinusuportahan ng S.B. 1834 ang pagiging globally competitive ng manggagawang Pilipino sa digital careers na bunsod ng Fourth Industrial Revolution.

"Life is digital. Kailangan po tayong makipagsabayan. We need to catch up and jump on board because the movement to digital life is fast and real. Kailangan po natin ng legal framework or paradigm na magtatahi o magsisinsin ng lahat ng efforts at initiatives ng pamahalaan para sa digital competitiveness ng manggagawang Pilipino," sabi ni Villanueva.

Itatatag ng S.B. No. 1834 ang Inter-Agency Council for Development and Competitiveness of Philippine Digital Workforce na mangunguna sa pagsulong at pagpapaunlad ng competitiveness ng digital workforce ng bansa sa pamamagitan ng iba't ibang inisyatibo, gayundin ang pagsulong ng digital innovation at entrepreneurship. Sa ilalim ng isang unified government framework, ang Inter-Agency Council ay pamumunuan ng National Economic Development Authority, at kabibilangan ng Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Information and Communication Technology, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Sa ilalim ng batas na ito, maaaring pumasok ang pamahalaan sa mga public-private partnerships kasama ang mga eksperto mula sa iba't ibang industry association tulad ng IT-BPO at mga pribadong kumpanya para sa pagpaplano at implementasyon ng programa para sa training, skills development, at certification para sa digital careers.

Mandato din ng panukalang batas na magkaroon ang mga local government units, sa tulong ng kanilang mga Public Employment Service Offices, ng mga lokal na polisiya para sa isulong ang digital technology at digital careers sa kanilang mga pamayanan.

Sinabi ng chair ng Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development na ang S.B. No. 1834 ang pinakabagong panukala na naghahasa ng polisiya ng bansa tungkol sa employment at edukasyon para mapalawak ang mga oportunidad na dala ng Fourth Industrial Revolution. Si Villanueva ang pangunahing tagapagsulong ng mga batas na sumusunod sa ganitong polisiya, gaya ng Telecommuting or Work From Home Law, Philippine Qualifications Framework Law, at ang Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program or Tulong Trabaho Law.