MANILA— President Rodrigo Duterte's administration has formed another task force, this time to create jobs and spur investments to revive the ailing economy, an official said on Tuesday, as the Philippines continued to wrestle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unemployment peaked at 17.6 percent of the population or 7.2 million Filipinos in April, which was halved to 8.7 percent last October, said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Even so, authorities "recognize that a coherent national strategy can help create a policy environment that encourages generation of more employment and entrepreneurship opportunities," he said in a televised press briefing.

During a meeting of the Duterte Cabinet on Monday, a task force was formed "to help move the [National Employment Recovery Strategy or] NERS along," Nograles said.

The body will be co-chaired by the labor and trade departments, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, he said.

The task force discussed the following during Monday's meeting.

• Need for a whole-of-government approach that will help create jobs and encourage more investments
• Affordability of testing requirements to restart the tourism industry
• Policies to strengthen finances like the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Bill signed into law last week

"An Executive Order is now being readied to institutionalize the NERS Task Force in order to oversee all these efforts," Nograles said.

TOO MANY TASK FORCES?

Video courtesy of PTV

The President earlier created various task forces to focus on government corruption, typhoon Ulysses rehabilitation, emerging infectious diseases, PhilHealth anomalies, African swine flu, hunger, El Niño, Manila Bay makeover, communist armed conflict, Boracay pollution, federalism, illegal drugs, media security, Marawi rehabilitation, and several others.

Task forces are needed to "synchronize and coordinate efforts," said Nograles.

"Kung mapapansin ninyo, ang style of management dito sa administrasyon ni President Duterte is we're breaking silos between and among agencies," he said.

(If you notice, the style of management here in the administration of President Duterte is we're breaking silos between and among agencies.)

"Through the task forces that are created, we are able to create synergy and coordination ng efforts ng lahat ng mga (of the efforts of all) agencies and departments involved. And we've been quite successful in breaking those silos and creating better coordination," added the official.

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