By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter
JOBS in environmental preservation and climate resilience hold the potential to bring in more people into the workforce, union officials and analysts said.
“Green jobs will not only contribute to climate resilience but also improve labor participation by creating new, future-ready employment opportunities,” Federation of Free Workers President Jose G. Matula said via Viber.
On Tuesday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) launched the National Green Jobs Human Resource Development Plan, with the aim of developing a skilled workforce to support the economy’s green transition.
“Green sectors can be made to expand enough to make up for carbon-intensive industries shedding workers,” IBON Foundation Executive Director Jose Enrique A. Africa said via Viber. “This shedding can even be mitigated by active social protection and retraining to ensure a just transition with livelihood security for all.”
The labor force consisted of 52.32 million workers in May, up from 50.74 million in April and 50.97 million a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.
Republic Act No. 10771, or the Philippine Green Jobs Act, incentivizes businesses that use green technology to produce environmental goods and services.
“Green jobs have remained more of a buzzword than a lived reality for most workers. That’s why this plan is urgent,” Mr. Matula said.
He said that the Philippines can compete in the global green economy through better incentives and strong labor-market alignment, and called for the inclusion of trade unions, indigenous peoples, and women.
Mr. Africa said that the Philippines has the potential to be competitive in the global green jobs market through long-term industrialization.
“The country will need more and more energy, and already has strong potential from hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, and biomass sources,” he added.
Mr. Matula urged the government to invest in skills training tied to green jobs demand and ensure that foreign investment includes technology transfer and decent work.
He also called for the protections of workers from the business process outsourcing, manufacturing, and energy during the green transition, and the expansion of social protections to cover potential climate shocks.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said the limited number of qualified trainers, the delayed development of standards and systems, limited resources, and weak public awareness is holding back green job certification.
“To address this, DoLE, the Climate Change Commissions, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have been pilot-testing the Green Jobs Certification System since 2018, while TESDA rolls out green skills training and developed training regulations in key sectors like auto and welding,” he said via Viber.
He added that these initiatives were augmented by efforts to integrate green standards into national labor and development plans, improve communication, and develop an online portal.
“(These are) steps meant to clarify, simplify, and scale green job recognition,” Mr. Laguesma said.
A shift to a more green economy is expected to create about 24 million jobs globally by 2030, the ILO said.
