Stick with your jobs amid crisis.

Roque tells OFWs

MANILA, Philippines - As economists foretell a gloomy 2009 marked by more lay-offs and an economic slowdown, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque cautioned overseas Filipinos from resigning from their jobs.

Roque said in a press conference on Monday that Filipinos employed overseas need to think twice before they would transfer from one job to another amid uncertain times.

“Unless you get an exciting offer, stick with the job you have right now," Roque said.

He refused to give projections on the Filipinos at risk from losing their jobs amid the global economic crisis, saying that he would opt for the actual unemployment figures, which might come out in the second week of the month.

In case Filipinos do lose their jobs overseas, Roque said the country could absorb them in the local work force aside from providing them with livelihood assistance under the P1-billion fund earmarked for the contingency fund.

He chief said in earlier interviews that the country could readily absorb between 50,000 to 100,000 laid-off Filipino workers overseas. He also downplayed the projection of former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno that 11 million Filipinos are at risk of losing their jobs.

Roque said the government is ready to provide an emergency employment program for laid-off workers. Under the program, a worker would be employed temporarily for three months before they are retrained or assisted for re-entry to other countries for work.

“We are not that jittery because we’re doing something," he said. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV