Private companies are requesting for an additional 3 million construction workers to sustain the country’s Build Build Build (BBB) infrastructure program.
Citing the initial estimate of the Department of Trade and Industry-Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (DTI-CIAP) for its construction road map, Research, Education and Institutional Development (REID) Foundation Vice President Ronilo M. Balbieran said the country will need around 7 million construction workers to meet its manpower needs.
This is higher compared to the estimates of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that the construction industry is in need of 800,000 to 1 million construction workers.
Currently, Balbieran said the country has a pool of 4 million employees.
He said the additional construction will be necessary especially once the government’s BBB program becomes fully implemented.
In a Senate hearing on Tuesday, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) revealed 46 of the 75 flag-ship infrastructure BBB projects are are now “technically under implementation.”
This includes the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, which the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), said would is expected to reduce travel time from Bicol region to La Union from 26 hours to just 9 or 10 hours once completed.
To address the shortage, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) committed to increase the number of its graduates with construction-related skills.
Balbieran stressed the need to provide the said graduates with the up to date skills and the necessary training.
“We emphasize here that the 7 million must have modern set of skills and technology in order to handle complexities of future construction projects,” Balbieran said.
Balbieran said this together with their other recommendations will be contained in the DTI-CIAP construction road map, which they expect to release by March 26, 2019.
Other salient points of the road map includes the proposal for a government legislation for the government 5 percent of its budget for infrastructure spending as well as the creation of a 30-year construction master plan.
“The road map will be broad stroke of the strategic plan of what we should accomplish. By April to November, we will be sitting down with government agencies to provide the necessary detail for this,” Balbieran said.
source: businessmirror.com.ph
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