For today’s budget deliberation at the Plenary, we started with the proposed budget of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and its attached agencies, amounting to P68.518 billion. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports that 19.99 million Filipinos live below the poverty threshold, while 2.99 million Filipinos are still jobless, so finding ways to provide jobs for the jobless and the marginalized is our top priority.
One of the issues that we discussed is the continuing struggle of workers against contractualization. We also tackled various government livelihood programs like the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) of DOLE, which I support.
As the Chairperson of the Finance Sub-Committee G, it is my goal to sponsor a budget that will change the lives of jobless Filipinos and help improve, if not totally solve, the state of poverty in our country and provide a better life for our people.
