Philippines faces skill gap as green economy push gains pace

BUSINESSES and policymakers face a widening gap between the demand for skilled labor and the workforce’s readiness to fill green jobs, as the Philippines accelerates its transition to a green economy.

- By Patricia B. Mirasol Multimedia Producer

Industry leaders and government officials warn that unless the country scales up training programs, the promise of economic growth from renewable energy, electric vehicles and sustainable construction could be undermined by the lack of qualified workers.

“Are we ready for these changes?” Francis A. Macatulad, program director at the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), a nonprofit that promotes capacity-building and sustainable practices, told BusinessWorld in a virtual interview. “Unfortunately, we are not. We don’t have the technicians.”

His warning underscores a structural challenge for Southeast Asia’s second-most-populous nation.

As climate change reshapes economies worldwide, the Philippines is under pressure to retrofit aging infrastructure, decarbonize energy systems and adopt greener modes of transportation. But the country is still scrambling to align its workforce with those demands.

The World Economic Forum projects that green and energy-transition roles such as renewable energy engineers and electric vehicle specialists will be among the fastest-growing job categories in the coming years.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that the shift to a green economy could create 24 million jobs globally by 2030.

The Asia-Pacific region is particularly exposed, with 43% of its workforce considered vulnerable to climate-related shocks and the disruptions from decarbonization, according to the ILO. For the Philippines, where millions of workers remain in carbonintensive or informal industries, the transition risks leaving many behind without targeted support.

Labor Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres said the government is working to balance the creation of green jobs with inevitable losses in traditional industries such as coal and fossil fuel-based transportation.