Unemployment has remained high in the Philippines, at almost twice the level of neighboring countries, despite relatively fast employment growth in the past decade. Philippines are abundant with different resources needed for industrialization yet it is still developing country. There are several reasons why unemployment is still high in the Philippine such as oversupply of labor force and inability to take on available jobs (structural unemployment), over supply of graduates, economic recession, over population and lack of quality graduates. But probably, one of the cause of unemployment in the Philippines may be lack of education and in ability to take on available jobs or seize opportunities because of lack of related skills and experience, jobless workers or fresh graduates are unable to take on careers that are available in the job market with the increasing demands of the fast developing world, it is really hard to find jobs when you are not a graduate of a particular skill or course.
The Department of Education is faced with the challenge of reconfiguring and fundamentally improving Philippine Education. The K-12 education program is one way of addressing the country’s unemployment rate. The K-12 program of DepEd is the change in the current educational system to improve the basic education in the country. The K-12 envisions that our high school graduates should possess sufficient mastery of basic competencies, adequately prepared for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education, legally employable and globally competitive. It enables high school graduates, at the age of 18 and above at the time of graduation, to possess competencies and skills relevant to the job market. K-12 graduates will have higher learning potential since they will be more competent and skilled compared to graduates of the traditional 10-year system as well as they will have national certification from TESDA which will enable them to have higher employment opportunities if they cannot go to college. Senior high school was implemented nationwide in the school year 2016-2017. The first batch of Grade 12 students under the K-to-12 program were graduated in last school year 2017-2018.
All in all, to move Filipinos out of poverty and to decrease the unemployment rate, we have to ensure the employability of students and graduates not only in the higher education, but in the basic education.
By: Carmellet R. Lalas |TEACHER II | Bataan National High School | Balanga City, Bataan
