Murang Kuryente party-list Rep. Atty. Art Yap on Nov. 9, 2026, called on government agencies to converge and act on the gaps that hinder the employment of Filipinos.
“We have the programs, we have the funds, and we must now converge and act as one,” Yap said.
Yap lamented that the country is training workers, but not necessarily for the jobs that are available and waiting.
He said the government has the tools and must act decisively and swiftly, avoiding “analysis paralysis.”
He noted that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has P19 billion pesos in scholarships in the 2027 budget, while the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has P11 billion pesos for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Displaced at Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program.
Yap also cited existing measures and programs, including the Trabaho para sa Bayan Act, the National Employment Plan, the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Law, the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) and the Skills Passport.
He proposed that the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Education and TESDA join DOLE in replicating the convergence in the regions to address the gaps and create a seamless pathway from basic education to college or technical education and work.
He also proposed bringing DOLE and TUPAD to the table to help train workers so they leave with not just a paycheck but also the right skills and training.
Yap said the government needs to assess before it trains and should spend the training budget on skills that are missing.
He also proposed training for the sectors that build the nation, and letting results decide where funding goes.
“We do not train for the sake of training nor certify for the sake of certifying. We train so that our people can find work, so that their work builds the nation,” he said.
Yap made the proposal in a privilege speech after attending the One NCR Education Summit on Nov. 5, 2026.
He cited Philippine Statistics Authority Labor Force Survey data showing 2.86 million unemployed Filipinos, up from 1.96 million a year ago. The unemployment rate rose from 3.8% to 5.4%.
The labor force grew by 1.63 million, but only 721,000 new jobs were created, he said.
He added that 12.7 million Filipino jobs, including clerical and IT-BPM work, are exposed to generative artificial intelligence.
The summit aims to create seamless pathways from basic education to college and from technical training to work. It also looked into gaps such as in literacy, noting that while reading skills are improving, some senior high school students are still reading at an emerging level.
Based on TESDA’s demand mapping, there is a shortage of workers in healthcare, information and communications technology and tourism, as well as caregivers, welders and electricians, who are the most sought after.
About 82% of trainers teach only National Certificate (NC) I and NC II, according to the data cited.
Yap pointed out that young people, the graduates of schools, are driving the unemployment rate and are knocking for opportunities.