CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – The unemployment rate in Central Luzon is 2.4 percent higher than the national rate of 6.5 percent, despite a double-digit growth in the manufacturing sector in the region.
Records of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicated that the region’s manufacturing sector posted a significant growth from negative 1.3 percent to 19.1, but noted the unemployment rate was 8.8 percent.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urged the private sector to help boost the region’s manufacturing industry.
DTI assistant secretary Rafaelita Aldaba said both the private and public sectors have to address the gap between industry and job creation.
“We can explore linking the locators at the Subic and Clark economic zones with our micro, small, and medium enterprises,” Aldaba said.
The agency said member-economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations enjoy zero tariffs for 99 percent of products traded in the region.
The Philippines enjoys zero tariffs for more than 6,000 products exported to the European Union member-nations, in conformity with the EU-generalized system of preferences plus (EU-GSP).
The principle of GSP was agreed upon at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It is granted to developing or beneficiary countries by developed countries.