Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday expressed concern over the possibility of displacing state workers if the administration will push through with the rightsizing of the bureaucracy.
“I really have a lot of concerns [on the rightsizing proposal],” Estrada said in an interview with reporters.
“My campaign promise…was to provide jobs for our people and if you will remove jobs [from] approximately 2 million who will be affected because of this rightsizing, then this has to be deliberated upon extensively,” he said.
The senator explained that unemployment will force people to commit crimes and get involved with drug trade.
“Saan mapupunta ‘yung 2 million na Pilipinong maapektuhan? Sabi nga ng tatay ko, a hungry stomach knows no law. Pagka wala nang makain ‘yan, magiging kriminal na ‘yang mga ‘yan,” he said.
Although he expressed reservations on the idea, Estrada said rightsizing can be considered if these displaced government employees will be transferred to different agencies but this could also result in problems of skills mismatch.
“For example ako, redundant ang aking trabaho sa isang department, tatanggalin ako, ililipat ako sa isang department na di ko naman expertise, di naman ako skilled sa isang department, so balewala,” he said.
Asked who is to be blamed on the excess fat in the bureaucracy, Estrada said the problem is because of “political accommodations.”
Several senators have already expressed support and reservations to the plan of the Marcos’ administration to trim down the bureaucracy in the government agencies and departments.
Last week, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it is planning to ask Congress to give President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. authority to rightsize the bureaucracy in order to save funds.
In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said they will be checking 187 agencies, departments, offices, and bureaus, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs)—which employ an estimated two million personnel—for redundant or overlapping functions.
In a separate statement, Pangandaman clarified that rightsizing the bureaucracy does not automatically mean a reduction in the number of personnel in government agencies.
She said that unlike downsizing, which automatically means reduction in the number of personnel, rightsizing may also mean strengthening the requirements of an agency.
She added government personnel who would be displaced may be transferred to “upsized” agencies.—AOL, GMA News
Source: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/838682/estrada-concerned-on-state-workers-to-be-displaced-after-gov-t-rightsizing/story/