DESPITE earlier news that Malacañan is planning to streamline all government agencies by initiating reorganizational measures to make them more efficient, labor secretary Bienvenido Laguesma has assured the public that the welfare of individuals who would be affected by the so-called “rightsizing” of the bureaucracy would be considered carefully before it is implemented.
According to the newly designated labor chief, the potential ‘rightsizing’ of government offices and agencies is still being seriously studied by President Ferdinand’ Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and his Cabinet officials
“The topic is being researched,” Laguesma replied when asked at a ‘Laging Handa’ briefing in Malacañan if individuals who may lose their jobs because of the “rightsizing” would be provided other possibilities.
The issue follows after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) proposed to Congress to grant the chief executive the power to “rightsize” bureaucracy to save public funds.
“That’s what we are looking. I cannot answer that categorically because we are still checking it. But I want to give a commitment that this is being studied carefully because the last thing we want to see is the dislocation of workers,” Laguesma said.
The former labor undersecretary also admitted that “rightsizing” the bureaucracy would have an impact on a lot of employees but he stressed that in addition to reducing staff, this would include strengthening roles in government agencies.
“Those who will be affected will be given benefits and they can be relocated to other existing agencies where their skills match,” he concluded.
