ILO urges immediate passing of Nograles’ green jobs act

Tweet

“All the laws that aim to protect the greater good… are urgently needed. The Green Jobs Act, couldn’t come at a better time than now, given the interest from the public and private sector on addressing the urgent climate change and environmental sustainability issues,” said Georginia Pascual, ILO’s project officer for Greener Business Asia.

A greener economy will not only reduce environmental hazards but will also pave the way towards more sustainable development, says an officer of the International Labour Organizaton (ILO).

ILO supports the passing of Nograles' Green Jobs Act, says it is needed more than ever.

As a complement to the existing Climate Change Act, Congressman Karlo Nograles of the first district of Davao City has filed House Bill No. 4969 or the Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2014, which aims to expand employment opportunities by utilizing green technologies or innovations that conserve natural resources or reduce environmental risks. Congressman Nograles is chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment at the House of Representatives.

First District of Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles pushes for the passage of Philippine Green Jobs Act to create green jobs that will help curb the ill-effects of climate change.

Recognizing the urgent need for climate-smart industries and services, Pascual emphasized that environmental sustainability is a challenge that is interlinked with social and economic issues.

"There are two criteria to be applied when creating green jobs—environmentally sustainable activities, products, and services and conditions for decency of work," Pascual said.

She lamented that people fail to acknowledge the extreme effects climate change and environmental degradation have on work and business conditions that lead to health risks for workers and damaged facilities for businesses.

“An ordinary worker would have to deal with potential occupational safety and health risks and hazards when he goes to work during extreme weather conditions,” Pascual said. “Business facilities can be damaged. Eventually the losses and damages incurred by businesses could lead to closure and loss of jobs.”

But if the bill is passed and utilized well, it will open new ventures for businesses and expand employment opportunities while offering positive benefits to the environment.

“This will create space for new businesses and practitioners to come in. And, in turn, create new opportunities for employment and demand for production resource,” Pascual said.

Nograles, on the other hand, hopes that the bill will help prepare the local labor force and enable them with the correct skills and techniques to cope with the innovations that are expected as greener, newer and more environment-friendly technologies and industries are introduced globally and, more importantly, in the ASEAN region.

Pascual agreed by saying, "The major adjustments and investments would have to be done in the area of human resources and skills development. In terms of government contribution, this would mean rationalizing portions of the national budget towards programs that can support this objective, as well as sponsoring a process that can facilitate it efficiently."

Pascual further said that any change like this one will require adjustments in the private sector but businesses should see it as a long-term investment and their contribution to environmental preservation.

“Any measure that would try to institutionalize a particular change will initially have its costs and maybe entail some sacrifices. This will only be detrimental to businesses’ financial aspect if they will not treat this as investment and as a contribution to a common effort to ensure their business’ sustainability,” Pascual said.

As an incentive to businesses, the proposed bill entitles participants to special deduction from gross income amounting to 200 percent of the total grants over and above the allowable ordinary and necessary business deductions under the National Internal Revenue Code, to be administered by the Department of Finance.

The United Nations Climate Summit was held recently in New York City where nations have vowed to take bolder measures to halt the perils of climate change, while agreeing that measures should be undertaken hand in hand with efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development.

Nograles has also filed House Bill No. 5011 or the "Green Buildings Act" which promotes environment-friendly construction innovations to reduce negative building impacts on environment and human health. This measure is co-authored by Pampanga Representative Juan Pablo Bondoc.

Both the Green Jobs Act and the Green Buildings Act are expected to revolutionize the country’s labor force to prepare them for a greener and more environment-conscious market.

-- Cong. Karlo Nograles of first district of Davao City passes House Bill No. 4969 that promotes climate-smart industries and services .

"Meaningful change makes a nation" -- Cong. Karlo Nograles:

Tweet

First District of Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles pushes for the passage of Philippine Green Jobs Act to create green jobs that will help curb the ill-effects of climate change.

The Representative from District 1 of Davao City,  Congressman Karlo Nograles has always known in his heart the renewing possibility of change. He believes that every individual has the resources within himself to change the course of his life. 

Nograles understands that the greatest and most significant societal changes begin with small, simple steps.



What is more life-changing than education? In his first term as a congressman, Karlo trained his eyes on education, particularly on the post-secondary level. 

“I just felt that government wasn’t paying enough attention to kids after high school,” says Nograles.


Through Oplan Kaalam (Oplan K), Karlo supports the full tuition and fees of thousand of students in state-owned University of Southern Philippines, University of the Philippines-Mindanao and other public and private colleges and universities across Davao City.



In addition, the program has also handed out thousands of technical-vocational scholarships to poor students in the barrios. “The youth become more empowered with higher education,” Karlo, who finished his law degree at the Ateneo de Manila University, says. “They are sustained with the means to provide a brighter future for themselves and their families.”


But for Karlo, it is not enough that the youth are educated and have their families secured: they also have to play a role in community transformation. In order to stress the importance of the youth and their involvement in community service, Karlo has led some 5,000 scholars in various community programs such as tree planting, coastal clean-ups, recycling, reading and literature programs, and school feeding drives, among others. 

Congressman Karlo Nograles is a typical protective and loving husband and father to his wife Marga and his three children, Mateo, Massimo and Nikka

“Every person has the capacity to serve the community, and the only way we can change the world for the better is to help others and always pay it forward,” an admirable life philosophy he continues to advocate from his training in the Ateneo and the Jaycee movement.

Now serving on his second term, Karlo is motivated to cultivate the seeds planted by education, volunteerism, and civic-mindedness to further fruition. Karlo is now committed to creating sustainable community-based livelihood programs and employment opportunities, in line with his current position as Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment at the House of Representatives.



Representative of First Congressional

 District of Davao City Karlo Nograles

Under the supervision of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Karlo has been bringing job fairs to the 54 barangays under his jurisdiction, right to where the people are. “Since many of the poor and unemployed have no means to go around and look for work, then we must bring all these job vacancies down to the impoverished communities, and together with potential employers do the job interviews then and there,” Karlo says. 

“Never underestimate the power of a job; it allows people to provide for their needs and enjoy the honor and dignity of hard work and self-reliance.”



The concurrent vice-chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights and Committee on Revision of Laws also brings to the barangays various community-based skills training projects, such as basic welding, plumbing, beauty care, and commercial cooking. “These are skills that are easily learned and are easily employable, and such trainings should therefore not be confined to schools and classrooms but must be accessible by the poor who need them most.”


For his exceptional vision and leadership, Karlo was hailed as Outstanding Congressman by SuperBrands Marketing International in 2012. The following year, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also conferred to him the Regional Kabalikat Award for 2013.


Cong. Karlo Nograles of first district of Davao City passes House Bill No. 4969 that promotes climate-smart industries and services .

Now, Karlo has set his eyes on sustainable development. He recently filed a bill in Congress seeking to generate eco-friendly jobs that will help reduce environmental risks posed by business enterprises with the help of green technology. His Green Jobs Act aims to not just preserve the environment, but to ensure that we are able to sustain a better way of life and at the same time protect our planet for future generations. 

For Karlo, change in the individual means change in the community and ultimately, the country.

Lawmaker seeks to generate more ‘green jobs’ in the Philippines

Tweet

From Davao City, Congressman Karlo Nograles seeks to generate more ‘green jobs’ in new bill, which will be known as the Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2014.

As a complement to the Climate Change Act, Congressman Karlo Nograles of Davao City has filed a new bill that aims to create and establish more environment-friendly industries and services to reduce the adverse effects of climate change in the country.

Congressman Karlo Nograles of Davao City

Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2014, is poised to create employment opportunities that will be less harmful to the environment by using green technology, or innovations that conserve natural resources.

“With the adverse effects of climate change being felt around the world and its increasing threat to lives and properties, nations have found it imperative to facilitate and guide the process of making industries less harmful to the environment,” Nograles said.

Promoting climate-smart industries and services is a part of the National Climate Change Action Plan, as mandated by the Climate Change Act.

Green jobs are employment opportunities that produce goods and services that benefit and preserve the environment. These particularly involve business enterprises that use fewer natural resources in their production processes.

Sharing the vision of the Climate Change Act, Nogralesalso recognizes the integral role of labor in minimizing the impact of disasters brought by climate change, and maximizing the potential benefits of climate change as well.

More than highlighting labor as an essential economic force needed in sustainable development, the Nograles bill seeks to promote the right of individuals to a safe and clean ecology. To carry this out, Nograles said the government shall identify needed skills and develop programs for research and the training of workers.

“The bill requires the government to strengthen the capacity of workers and businesses to prevent, manage, mitigate and adapt to, the adverse impact of climate change and disasters and continue to create, sustain or expand opportunities for employment, by improving ourbusiness climate and working conditions,” he said.

To recognize efforts, fiscal incentives will be granted to individuals and enterprises who participate in the creation of green jobs, use green technologies, and produce green goods and services. This is also to encourage others to engage in the same practices.

The bill entitles participants to special deductions from gross income amounting to 200 percent of the total grants over and above the allowable ordinary and necessary business deductions under the National Internal Revenue Code. Incentives shall be administered by the Department of Finance.

The Climate Change Commission is tasked to formulate standards for the certification of green technologies, good and services that will be used in the granting of the said incentives.

As a long-term goal, Nograles also seeks to utilize the bill as a stepping stone towards a green economy—one that is “low-carbon” and “resource-efficient,” contributes to the well-being of constituents, and reduces environmental risks.

“As countries all over the world collectively move toward a more sustainable economy, public policy must center on developing a green jobs agenda, enhancing workers skills, and ensuring a just transition to a green economy,” Nograles said.

As the overall in charge of generating green jobs, the Department of Labor and Employment is tasked under the bill to create a national green jobs human resource development plan, which will sustain the transition into a green economy.

“It shall include programs, projects, and activities pertaining to basic, higher and technical vocational education and training, a database that identifies and links green job opportunities with private and public entities, and information on knowledge and skill requirements of a green economy,” Nograles said.

The bill also seeks to delegate the Secretary of Labor and Employment as an additional member of the Climate Change Commission, as well as mandates the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to design and implement the appropriate curriculum in support of the green economy.