Senator Panfilo Lacson (Photo courtesy of Ping Lacson Facebook page)
MANILA – Independent presidential candidate Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said the government should focus on reviving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to address the country's unemployment problem.
"We should revive our MSMEs, which are the biggest supplier of labor. Our MSMEs should be the first to be revived because they were the first to suffer (because of the pandemic)," he said in an interview in Bogo, Cebu on Thursday.
Lacson added that MSMEs are still recovering from the lockdowns triggered by the coronavirus pandemic while facing the impact of rising costs of fuel.
He noted MSMEs account for 99.5 percent of the country's enterprises and while its workers comprise 63.2 percent of the labor force.
On Thursday, the Philippine Statistics Authority said the unemployment rate in February was 6.4 percent which translates to 3.13 million unemployed Filipinos.
Lacson said if he is elected into office, he would ensure easier access for MSMEs to financial assistance.
He said various government agencies have at least 20 programs including microfinancing and credit facilities, but MSMEs may not be aware of them.
"Iniisip namin ni SP, i-streamline natin (Senate President Sotto and I are thinking of streamlining all this)," he said.
Should he win, Lacson also said his administration will set up programs for skills matching and push for a policy focusing on skills and not age or disability as the basis for employment. (PNA)
