LAWMAKERS from Camarines Sur are renewing their push for the creation of a Tripartite Council to address the country’s persistent job-skills mismatch, which they warn continues to hinder employment and economic growth.

Camarines Sur 5th District Rep. Luigi Villafuerte and 2nd District Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte are advocating for the passage of House Bill No. 2397, which seeks to establish a coordinating body linking government, academe, and industry to better align workforce skills with labor market demands.

Luigi Villafuerte said the mismatch persists due to an outdated education system and rapidly evolving job requirements.

“This persistent mismatch between the skill sets and competencies of our graduates and the jobs in demand often leads to unemployment, underemployment, wage inequality, and low employee morale,” he said.

Citing data from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, he noted that 39 percent of employed Filipinos are overqualified for their jobs, while 29 percent lack the qualifications for positions they seek.

He added that many workers struggle to find meaningful career opportunities due to gaps in technical and digital skills increasingly required by employers.

For his part, Migz Villafuerte, chair of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, said businesses are also feeling the impact of the mismatch.

“This results in labor shortages, reduced productivity, and diminished competitiveness, as employers find it difficult to recruit workers with the right competencies for evolving job roles,” he said.

He warned that these inefficiencies could slow job creation and constrain economic growth.

The proposed Tripartite Council would serve as a central body to monitor labor market trends at both the local and global levels, while generating data on employment, unemployment, underemployment, and skills gaps.

The measure also mandates the council to review academic programs and training curricula, assess graduate competencies, and match these with industry requirements, as well as recommend policy actions to the President and Congress.

Under the bill, representatives from key government agencies—including the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Trade and Industry—will sit on the council, alongside members from academe and industry groups such as the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines.