The Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines, the country’s umbrella organization of employers, is pushing for the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence and reforms to improve the business environment and strengthen good governance amid challenges affecting employment generation.
ECOP cited geopolitical tensions, oil price volatility and supply uncertainty, and inflationary pressures as challenges affecting productivity, skills development, and employment generation.
“These issues intersect with ongoing disruptions caused by AI, climate change, and other structural challenges that affect the country’s overall economic competitiveness, its attractiveness as an investment destination, and its capability to create more decent jobs,” ECOP said.
It said that despite the polycrisis, the country continues to offer opportunities through its young workforce, natural resources, and deeper regional integration.
To take advantage of opportunities amid global and domestic headwinds, ECOP cited the need for policies that strengthen business enterprises, improve the business climate, and support economic growth and competitiveness.
It said that employers, government agencies, workers’ organizations, and relevant stakeholders need to work together for a future-ready, dynamic, resilient, and sustainable economy and workforce.
Given the rise of AI and other emerging technologies, ECOP pushed for a responsible and human-centered approach in the integration of such in business operations. It also said that current and emerging challenges on job displacement, skills mismatch, diversity and inclusion, business continuity, supply and value chain resilience, climate adaptation, and other sustainability issues need to be addressed.
Employment generation faces many challenges in a world that seems to be continually in crisis and where everyone has to reckon with groundbreaking and life changing technologies like AI, that is developing at a breakneck pace. Employers, government, labor groups, and employees have to navigate this brave new world and urgently work together to build a sustainable environment that is beneficial for human beings while at the same time maximizing the advantages provided by technology.
This is an opportunity that the Philippines cannot afford to miss.*
