Dateline Kamuning: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is making adjustments to the food stamp program initiated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s administration, aiming to empower beneficiaries and encourage their active participation in nation-building. DSWD Undersecretary Edu Punay said they are now working on the design of the food program to lessen the dependence of the beneficiaries on government assistance. “Isang very novel aspect that we’re introducing, or component, is iyong conditionality. Ang gusto natin (mabawasan) iyong dependency ng ating mga beneficiary sa government assistance na nakikita natin, for example sa 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program), (dahil) talagang masyadong dependent na,” Punay told a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday.   “Admittedly, ang ating mga ilang beneficiaries diyan, ayaw nang umalis sa 4Ps kahit na due for graduation na sila. Ito iyong gusto nating iwasan sa mga bagong programs nating gagawin. ...

  Dateline Kamuning: The country’s employment rate has increased to 95.3 percent in March 2023 from the 94.2 percent in the same period last year, according to the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The March 2023 Labor Force Survey of the PSA showed that the number of employed persons in March 2023 was estimated at 48.58 million, which is 1.6 million higher than the 46.98 million employed persons in March 2022. The PSA also emphasized that the unemployment rate in March 2023 has dropped to 4.7 percent from the 5.8 percent in March 2022 (and 4.8 percent in February 2023). This translates to 2.42 million unemployed Filipinos out of 51 million Filipinos who were in the labor force in March 2023 In terms of the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR), the PSA said that it was registered at 66 percent in March 2023, which was higher than the 65.4 percent LFPR in March 2022, but lower than the 66.6 percent LFPR in February 2023. “Underemployment rate in Ma...