The Facts: In a COMELEC-led presidential debate, one of the topics the presidentiables would have to discuss is addressing unemployment. Vice President Leni Robredo proposed improvements in the educational quality, raising the compensation for teachers, and means to match applicants’ qualifications with available jobs.
VP Robredo has neither directly nor intently said that Filipino seamen possess insufficient skills.
The details:
On March 22, 2022, a Facebook user using the name “Sonny Goodz” posted an excerpt of Pilipinas Debates 2022, a COMELEC-initiated presidential debate, where VP Robredo was answering the question: “Ano ang inyong gagawin para magkaroon ng sapat na trabaho para sa lahat lalo na para sa nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral?”
Robredo answered: “Malaki po yung disconnect ng curriculum natin sa industry. Example ko na lang po dito yung BPO. Ang daming trabahong available pero walang nagquaqualify. Yung maritime, grabe pa yung opportunity dito pero yung skills kulang.”
The said viral post has the caption, “Mga kasamahan ko na seaman……payag kayo? Kulang daw kayo sa skills…….tsk tsk tsk….” [https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5701244396568670&id=100000494994157] “Sonny Goodz” has more than 1,800 followers.
Although the video attachment has no irregular splice, many of those who read it believed the statement and even commented adversely against VP Robredo. The Vice President was talking clearly about education and work mismatch, where Filipino seafarers could fill in those better-paying jobs however their qualifications wouldn’t match with what the position requires.