MANILA — The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has called on its members to adapt to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and focus on reskilling and upskilling their employees to bolster the country's economic growth.
According to Philippines News Agency, who spoke at the 45th National Conference of Employers at The Manila Hotel, embracing digital transformation is crucial for preparing workplaces for future challenges and opportunities. "Employers should now be embracing digital transformation and preparing the workplace for the future," Ortiz-Luis emphasized, highlighting the importance of digital literacy, access to automation tools, and resilience in enterprise capacity building.
Ortiz-Luis pointed out that the integration of AI across various sectors redefines necessary workforce skills, requiring employees to collaborate effectively with machines. This shift necessitates changes in training and education programs to meet the demands of the evolving work environment. "We must ensure that no one is left behind as we embrace the changes in the future of work," he added.
During discussions at the conference, Ortiz-Luis also identified AI as one of the critical issues facing employers today, alongside concerns about the deteriorating quality of education, the push for legislated wages, and proposals for additional paid holidays. ECOP chair Edgardo Lacson echoed the need for public and private sector cooperation to tackle these challenges and improve the alignment of educational standards with industry needs while fostering innovation and avoiding business-unfriendly legislation.
In his keynote address, Danish Ambassador to the Philippines Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin stressed the role of foreign direct investments (FDIs) in enhancing local worker productivity, which lags behind that of neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Mellbin suggested that FDIs could introduce new technologies to local industries, further supporting economic advancement.