Around five million Filipinos could lose their jobs this year due to the combined effects of artificial intelligence (AI) advancements and climate change, according to the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).
FFW chair Sonny Matula stated in a Phil Star Global report that employment opportunities from the upcoming May elections would not be enough to compensate for the projected losses, particularly in agriculture. Extreme weather conditions are expected to devastate crops by the end of the first quarter, displacing agricultural workers, FFW vice president Julius Cainglet warned.
The business process outsourcing (BPO) and manufacturing sectors are also at risk as AI adoption accelerates. Citing International Monetary Fund data, Cainglet revealed that up to 14 percent of the country’s workforce could be replaced by AI.
Last year, about 2.3 million Filipinos lost their jobs after successive tropical cyclones. Cainglet predicts similar scenarios this year, with super typhoons and heat stress further threatening employment, especially in agriculture.
The FFW also criticized the government’s insufficient budget allocation for agriculture and noted that high electricity costs discourage foreign investments, further hampering job creation.
Women workers are expected to bear the brunt of these job losses, the group added.
