The Institute for Labor Studies ILS Acting Executive Director Ahmma Charisma Lobrin-Satumba welcomed the participants during the “Validation Forum of the National Green Jobs Human Resource Development ((NGJHRD) Plan” held at The Benilde Hotel, Manila last December 11.

Exec. Dir. Lobrin-Satumba expressed gratitude for the attendees, most of whom were also the industry stakeholders who participated during the series of consultations started in September this year pursuant to the implementation of Republic Act No. 10771, otherwise known as the “Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016.” Consulted were the following industry sectors: construction, mining, quarrying, petrochemicals, solid waste and management sectors; manufacturing; and finally, with the tourism, health, agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.

The NGJ-HRD Plan is intended for the development, enhancement and utilization of labor force, both in the private and public sector, to enable and sustain the transition to a green economy and the generation of green jobs towards more employment and equal opportunities and the promotion of social justice and workers’ welfare.

The plan covers the identification of the skills and competencies and the gaps in the sectors with a view to transform jobs in these industries into green jobs. It also aims to review and analyze current skills and training system to see whether the skills and competency standards have green components.

Present also during the validation were the members of the Inter-Agency Committee (IAC) on Green Jobs HRD Plan Formulation headed by the Department of Labor and Employment and composed of twenty (20) government agencies, which are tasked to collaborate in the implementation of the Green Jobs Act: Department of Finance, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Professional Regulation Commission,  Department of Science and Technology, Department of Transportation, Department of Tourism, Department of Public Works and Highways, Climate Change Commission, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The validated results are scheduled to be presented to Secretary Silvestre Bello III.