Growing unemployment in the Philippines, also due to corruption and waste
Manila (AsiaNews) - The economic crisis is hitting the Philippines and countries in the developing world with unemployment. Nevertheless, there are weak signs of recovery in agriculture. These are the findings from a study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which considers the industry sector most at risk.
According to the ADB in the second quarter of 2009 employment in the Philippines fell by 7%, while agriculture grew by 2.6%. This trend is also confirmed by the National Statistics Office - NSO which reported 2, 719 million unemployed in the month of October 2009. This is 191 thousand higher than the 2.525 million unemployed in October 2008. This figure also reflects the damage of typhoons Ketsana and Parma, which between September and October brought the capital, where the large majority of industrial establishments are based, to its knees.
"In 2010 the government will create 1.5 million jobs - said Augusto Santos, director of the program for economic planning - they will be concentrated in service industries such as trade, finance and banking industry". For now, the NSO has registered about 944 thousand new jobs in 2009. The goal promised by the government in 2008 was more than 1 million.
According to Mgr. Broderick S. Pabillo, auxiliary bishop of Manila, the country's main problem is corruption in high places instead of politics and industry. "The political class - he says – is wasting money that is meant to be spent on socio - economic development projects for the population, using it instead for their own purposes." For the prelate the government should consider the common good and rediscover Christian values even in the economy. "The Church – he says - through Caritas operates numerous projects of micro credit to combat the crisis, which are useful for creating new jobs and helping the poor."
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15/10/2020 16:40
