racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

BW writes that “equal opportunity employment in R.P. [is] a distant reality.”

In other parts of the world equal opportunity employment is an

important tenet in the governance of a country. It guarantees equal

access to job opportunities to every citizen, regardless of age, color,

creed, religion, gender and social status.

…

Much can be said about equal opportunity employment and people can

criticize, laud or argue with the issue until it is black and blue but

one thing is evident – the hiring practices in RP needs reform.

I think the problem is also rooted in culture.  BW discussed well

the issue at hand from the perspective of employers.  From the

side of employees (or prospective ones), on the other hand, Pinoys have

the tendency to look down on blue-collar work, and put white-collar

work on the pedestal.  We are proud for the lawyers, doctors,

CPAs, economists (especially the economists, heheh), and other such

professionals, but we frown upon doing the work that janitors and

construction workers do.  We should be proud for whatever work we

do.

Or perhaps we aren’t proud because we do not feel aptly compensated.

I agree with BW that equal opportunity employment may be yet

unattainable at this time in this country.  But I think it’s not

enough for government to take the advocacy.  We must start with a

gradual but solid change in our perspectives on labor and work, perhaps

we can start this with our educational system.  Yes, it’s easy to

blame the educational system for any problems we have with our culture,

but it’s true.  Our citizens should learn

to value work and labor more, and hence leading to employers valuing

their

workers better, in turn.

By then we can expect the local workplace to be more sensitive to the calls for equality, or even better, equity.

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