By Wilnard Bacelonia

VACANCIES. Jobseekers search for suitable employment at the Labor Day job fair organized by the Quezon City government, Department of Migrant Workers, and Department of Labor and Employment at QC hall on May 1, 2025. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday (Aug. 29) urged the government to craft policy interventions that would protect Filipino workers who may be displaced by the recent imposition of a 19-percent reciprocal tariff by the US on Philippine exports. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday urged the government to craft policy interventions that would protect Filipino workers who may be displaced by the recent imposition of a 19-percent reciprocal tariff by the United States on Philippine exports.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the tariff move has begun affecting local industries that export to the US, with reports of layoffs barely a month after the policy was announced.

“We should look at policy interventions to help those who will lose their jobs,” Gatchalian said in a news release.

The senator said he would refile a resolution seeking to determine the specific impact of the US reciprocal tariffs on jobs, supply chains, and business operations.

The measure also aims to identify potential disruptions and the risk of manufacturers pulling out to avoid tariffs.

“Kailangan nating makita ang buong epekto ng reciprocal tariffs para makagawa ng mga polisiya na tutulong sa mga maaapektuhang sektor at mawawalan ng trabaho (We need to see the full impact of the reciprocal tariffs so we can craft policies that will help affected sectors and displaced workers),” he added.

The US is among the country’s largest trading partners, and the 19-percent tariff is expected to hit key export industries, raising concerns about competitiveness and employment. (PNA)