Kalayaan Hall, Malacañan Palace 
September 27, 2023

“This law will help us solve the various challenges plaguing our labor sector, such as low quality jobs, skills mismatch, and underemployment, among others,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remarked as he signed into law the ‘Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act,’ which ensures the sustainable and inclusive development of the country, in a ceremony at the Kalayaan Hall in Malacañan Palace.

In his keynote speech, President Marcos Jr. expressed his gratitude and acknowledged the efforts of the Senate and House of Representatives for the timely passage of the bill, which is among the priority legislative measures of his Administration.

The Chief Executive also discussed the need to update digital technologies and improve worker skills, especially for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). “We will continue to provide support and other incentives, such as increased access to financing and capital, to promote self-reliance and spur employment generation,” he added.

He urged the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council (TBA-IAC) and all other agencies involved to fast-track the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law, and to ensure that all workers and stakeholders can immediately benefit from it.

The President also conveyed that the objective of this law is not solely to achieve its goal but to serve as a positive step towards realizing the vision of a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’.

“Sa pagpasa ng batas na ito, binubuksan natin ang isang bagong yugto sa ating bansa kung saan mayroon sapat at de-kalidad na trabaho para sa lahat,” President Marcos Jr. said, concluding his message.

The IRR of the ‘Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act’ will take 90 days to officially become a law. The TBA-IAC will be chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and co-chaired by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which will facilitate employment, and the Department of Trade and Industry, which will take charge of monitoring businesses to ensure compliance with the law.

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