COTABATO CITY – A measure seeking to establish a system of a registry of all skilled workers in the Bangsamoro region that will serve as a database containing information that can be used to effectively match their skills to employment opportunities entered on first reading.

A labor rights advocate, Member of the Parliament Romeo Sema, principally authored BTA Bill No. 124, or the Bangsamoro Skilled Workers Registry Act, noted that the region’s growing economy entails an increase in job opportunities and a higher demand for skilled workers.

The system of registry will connect skilled workers with employers in need of their services.

Sema said the bill aims to address unemployment by matching the demand of employers with the pool of skilled workers.

He described the registry as a useful tool for identifying available human resources across all BARMM political units.

He added that the registration will help the BARMM government identify the capabilities it needs in order to expand further and create appropriate policies.

Each barangay in BARMM will be responsible for physically or digitally registering the skilled workers in their respective areas under the proposed measure. It will develop plans and guidelines for compiling the necessary information to take advantage of the skilled work force.

Barangays are responsible for keeping records of the information they collect and submitting them to the relevant municipal and provincial Public Employment Service Offices (PESO).

Each provincial office’s PESO is responsible for collecting data from its constituent municipalities, maintaining its own data records, and compiling the consolidated data for submission to the Bureau of Employment, Promotions, and Welfare within the BARMM’s Ministry of Labor and Employment.

The registry will compile a database of data, including, but not limited to, names, ethnicities, addresses, contact information, skills, training, and professional certifications, and employment experience, among others.

Sema emphasized that no fees will be charged to skilled workers for registration.

Once approved, the repository will be open to the public, including employers, recruitment agencies, government offices, other PESO offices, and private individuals seeking the services of skilled workers, subject to the provisions of the Data Privacy Act. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)