THE SENATE approved on third and final reading a bill that will establish a national employment generation and recovery master plan that will resolve job-skills mismatch and give opportunities to fresh graduates.

Senate Bill 2035 or the proposed Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, authored and sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, got the votes of all 24 senators.

The bill aims to synergize all policies, programs and initiatives of the government that address labor-related challenges under one coherent direction and strategy.

“Employment should not just be an incident to economic development. Generating more decent and permanent employment should be the objective of economic growth, to make growth inclusive and a reality for all,” Villanueva said.

Under the measure, a Trabaho Para sa Bayan Interagency Council will be created to formulate the TPB Plan. This includes action plans for supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, worker upskilling, employer incentives, youth employment, as well as for the reintegration of overseas Filipino workers, among others.

The council — composed of the heads of the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of the Interior and Local Government; and representatives from employers’ organizations, labor groups, marginalized sector and the informal sector — is mandated to monitor, review, and evaluate the implementation of the TPB Plan.

The employment masterplan shall include a 3-year, 6-year, and 10-year development timeline.

SBN 2035 will also mandate government agencies to review hiring policies and standards, streamline recruitment processes and identify the manpower needs of the government.