Senator Joel Villanueva on Thursday urged for the passage of Senate Bill No. 2587, or the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act, to address the critical issue of underemployment in the country.

In a statement, the lawmaker said the passage of EBET is “not only timely but also long overdue” after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported an increase in underemployment to 12.1 percent or 6.08 million Filipinos in June 2024, from 9.9 percent or 4.82 million Filipinos in May 2024.

This highlights the persistent issue of job-skills mismatch and quality of jobs, and a measure is needed to close the skills gap with employer needs, he said.

“The bill, a priority measure of the administration, aims to boost the skills of our workforce through general EBET training, apprenticeship and upskilling, which duration shall vary depending on the complexity of the skills and competencies to be learned by a trainee,” Villanueva said.

“It further aims to encourage more enterprises to undertake EBET programs by ensuring their active involvement in its promotion and conduct, as well as through the provision of streamlined processes for EBET program registration, enhanced incentives, and support mechanisms,” he said.

Villanueva said the EBET Framework Act will complement the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act in synergizing the government’s efforts in solving employment woes in the country.

During the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting last March, Villanueva said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. asked senators to ensure the urgent passage of the EBET Framework Act. (PNA)