Gov’t holds summit to preserve jobs, help business cope with crisis

To help workers remain on their jobs, Malacañang will hold a multi-sectoral summit on Monday (Feb. 9) aimed at saving jobs by helping industries cope with the impact of the global economic crisis, the Department of Labor and Employmentsaid.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said the multi-sectoral summit on “Joining Hands Against The Global Crisis”, is an initiative of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as part of the government’s efforts to minimize job losses and keep industries afloat amidst the onslaught of the global crisis.

Roque said the President ordered the DOLE and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to organize the summit following a recent multi-sectoral conference of labor, management, and other stakeholders that also tackled measures aimed at mitigating the impact of the global crisis on local and overseas Filipino workers.

He said the government is exhausting all means to preserve the workers’ jobs as this would sustain demand, which is essential in enabling industries cope with the crisis.

He pointed out, however, that it is also necessary to ensure an environment that sustains and even allows business growth to enable the economy to preserve and also generate employment.

The multi-sectoral summit to be held at Heroes Hall, of Malacañan Palace will bring together top leaders of the business sector, labor groups, church, academe, and government and non-government organizations in the national efforts to identify the necessary safety nets that would help vulnerable workers and industries cope with the current economic downturn.

He said about 200 summit participants will join hands in harmonizing government and private sector responses to the needs of workers and industries that are affected by the crisis.

The main objective, he said, is to enable industries survive the crisis’ adverse effects to preserve existing jobs and also generate employment for workers who have already been displaced.

Specifically, Roque said the stakeholders will sign a Joint Communique affirming their commitments to support programs intended for jobs preservation and generation and also the provision of safety nets to workers and industries affected by the economic crunch.

The Communique to be presented to the President would boost the efforts to facilitate the reemployment and the provision of other forms of assistance to the displaced workers, Roque said