National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan has underscored the need for a strategic and thorough execution of the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act following the release last Nov. 15 of its implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
The IRR was approved on October 23 by the Inter-Agency Council (IAC) for the Development and Competitiveness of the Philippine Digital Workforce after a series of consultations with relevant government agencies, private sector representatives, and other stakeholders.
Balisacan said the IRR is vital for equipping the workforce with digital technologies and skills and fostering a dynamic innovation ecosystem in the country.
The IRR outlines the establishment of the IAC for the Development and Competitiveness of the Philippine Digital Workforce which is chaired by the NEDA and composed of eight other agencies — the Departments of Labor and Employment, Trade and Industry, Information and Communications Technology, Science and Technology, Interior and Local Government, and Education, as well as the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The IAC will serve as the primary planning, coordinating, and implementing body in promoting, developing, and enhancing the competitiveness of the Philippine digital workforce. DOLE, in addition, shall serve as the secretariat to the IAC.
The new law also tasked the IAC to formulate the National Roadmap on Digital Technology and Digital Skills, which shall serve as a basis for implementing programs that will upskill, re-skill, and train the digital workforce in the country.
The IAC will also establish a centralized online portal to harmonize the existing portals of member agencies that contain information on training and skills development programs, certification, and scholarship programs.
Balisacan said these programs will address the gaps identified in digital technology and digital skills mapping, ensuring that all Filipinos have access to and are equipped with the skills and competencies needed to navigate digital content, platforms, digital innovations, entrepreneurship, and technology to meet the ever-evolving demands of the global labor market.
