TUCP supports more women in male-dominated jobs

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Thursday welcomed the employment of more Filipina women in jobs that used to be dominated by men.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) reported that last year, 53 percent of the 1,765,757 technical-vocational graduates were women — many of them are trained as welders and automotive mechanics.

“More Filipina women nowadays are breaking barriers by taking on jobs that once identified only with men. There are now many women employed as welders. Women working as jeepney, taxi, tricycle or bus drivers are also growing.

“I think our traditional frame of mind should begin to accepting changes such as these as we continue to honor our Filipina women for their invaluable contribution to the family and for their positive impacts they have made in our society,” Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions-TUCP said.

Seno said there is a need to craft or improve existing workplace and training policies in government and in private sectors in anticipation of the influx of more women into the construction sector and other male dominated jobs including heavy equipment operators.

He lauded the recent effort of TESDA director general Joel Villanueva and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano for facilitating the training of 4,200 skilled female workers and possible hiring for Dubai until 2016 with specialization in electrical installation and maintenance, plumbing, refrigeration, air-conditioning and automotive mechanic.

Based on the Labor Force Survey of the National Statistics Office in October last year, 14.8-million women are employed out of the total 15.7 million female labor force.

In the same period in 2011, of the 15.6-million women labor force, 14.6 million of them are employed. There are more than an estimated 400,000 female entrants every year.

Most women workers are found traditionally employed in wholesale and retail trade, agriculture, hunting and forestry, manufacturing. They are also into service sector such as health and social work, education, hotels and restaurants, and financial remediation. - Dennis Carcamo