đź“·Former Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite
Bayan Muna today strongly criticized the government’s misleading employment statistics, highlighting a recent statement by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that considers a person working just one hour a day as employed.
Ferdinand Gaite, former Bayan Muna representative, described this definition as “deeply insulting and grossly misleading,” arguing that it fails to capture the economic hardships of millions of Filipinos and serves only to artificially lower unemployment figures.
“This is both deeply insulting and grossly misleading. Defining employment in such a narrow way ignores the reality of economic hardship faced by millions of Filipinos and serves only as a means to artificially lower unemployment statistics,”he said
“True employment is more than just clocking in for an hour. It means having a stable, secure job that provides a living wage, sufficient working hours, and essential benefits like health care, paid leave, and social security. The government’s role is to ensure that citizens have access to decent employment, not to manipulate data in a way that downplays the real struggles of the workforce,” Gaite pointed out.
Gaite lambasted the government for its gross disconnect from ground realities, emphasizing that no amount of statistical manipulation can cover up the massive joblessness facing the country. The latest reports indicate the Philippines’ unemployment rate increased to 4.7 percent in July, translating to 2.38 million jobless Filipinos, particularly affecting newly-graduated students who struggle to find jobs that match their qualifications.
“This issue highlights the failure of the government to provide meaningful job opportunities and exposes flaws in its labor policy, which is increasingly detached from social realities and the actual needs of the population,” Gaite said.
He criticized the outdated labor policies that fail to reflect the rapidly changing social and economic environment, leaving many young Filipinos underemployed or in jobs unrelated to their fields of study. Gaite called for a shift in government focus to stimulate innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and create an environment where new businesses can thrive, thereby generating employment for recent graduates.
“Let’s admit it: the policies that might have worked decades ago no longer meet the realities of a globalized, digital economy. Graduates today are looking for opportunities in modern industries, but the government’s regulatory framework remains stuck in the past, focusing on traditional employment sectors that are no longer growing or in demand,” he added.
Instead of relying on temporary or short-term job initiatives, Gaite urged the government to prioritize real solutions that offer fair wages, promote worker rights, and ensure access to dignified, meaningful employment that can be achieved by national industrializatiion.
“Empty promises and flawed definitions will only deepen the crisis, leaving workers to suffer in an economy that fails to serve them,” he concluded. #
