Employment strategies for accelerated economic growth : the Philippine experience

The recent adoption of an employment-oriented and rural-based strategy by the Philippine government to attain economic recovery and long-run growth therefore speaks well of its conmitment to address the problem of poverty, unemployment and underemployment more vigorously today. This paper will try to analyze the experience of the Philippines in terms of the policies and strategies it has adopted to address the problems of unemployment and underemployment. In particular, this will be done in relation to the goals and targets set in the country's various development plans. The next section summarizes the trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment for the period 1960-1987. This will be followed by a review of the country's development plans with special reference to the objectives, strategies and programs.in respect of anployment. Section IV will look at how the economy performed with respect to these objectives and targets. Of significant importance here is the evaluation of the impacts of specific policies on employment. The current posture of the government insofar as employment generation is concerned as embodied in the latest year development plan, and the policies currently in place which impinge upon employment snail also be analyzed in Section V. Finally, emerging trends and issues on employment, as well as the options and policy implications shall be discussed in the last section.