THE Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP) said the government must confront the challenges posed by the digital transition, among other rapidly evolving factors altering the economy.
ECoP 46th National Conference of Employers (NCE) Chair Cesar Mario O. Mamon said global institutions are now calling for public-private initiatives to address the interconnected challenges brought about by the so-called triple transition — the shift to more digitalized, and greener society amid rapidly changing demographics.
“The government plays a crucial role in shaping a more sustainable future for the next generation of Filipinos and must lead the initiatives to negate the ill effects of environmental degradation, technological advancements, and shifting demographics,” Mr. Mamon said at the conference.
In particular, he said that global warming has increased the frequency of weather disturbances, while the demographic shift is disrupting the population structure and the labor market.
Meanwhile, he said artificial intelligence could outcompete humans in most tasks, putting some jobs at risk.
Noting resolutions passed by ECoP, Mr. Mamon said that the government must work with the private sector, academia, and other partners “to develop and implement appropriate policies, strategies, and programs to address the triple transition.
ECoP Governor Arturo C. Guerrero III said the most worrisome is the ill effects of the digital transition.
“They say that a lot of jobs are going to be lost to digitalization. In fact, this was the cornerstone of the conference: that everything is going digital … and some people and businesses are not able to cope,” he told BusinessWorld.
“Some people are not able to upskill and reskill. We are afraid of this transition, because you can’t stop it,” he added.
He said that steps should be taken to ensure that employees and businesses are not left behind.
“Our responsibility as employers is to make sure that no employees are left behind, and we need the assistance of the government to help us alleviate the change,” he said.
“We need to talk and have social dialogue so that we can know how we can proceed and how we can do it so that we won’t have a hard time in the transition,” he added.
He said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s promise of putting laptops in schools is a step in the right direction but noted that Filipinos still need to strengthen the basics to adapt.
“For you to adapt, you need to have the basics. You need to have creativity, you have to have knowledge, you have to have understanding, and you have to have basic writing, reading, and arithmetic,” he said.
“Our students right now are not capable of understanding and solving problems on their own. So this is where the government, especially the education sector, can focus,” he added.
He said that addressing the challenges will make the Philippines more attractive for foreign direct investment.
“They are not looking at the Philippines on its own. We are being looked at as members of the Asia-Pacific region. We are being compared to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, among others,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile