Make a Straight News using the following details

*In an X post, Marcos said he was “pleased” to see what he described as the “significant
progress and resilience” in the Philippine labor market.

*“This positive momentum is attributed to robust growth across all major industry groups,
with construction, agriculture and services leading the way,” Marcos said.

*About 1.6 million people were jobless in December, lower than the 2.22 million recorded in
the same month in 2022 and 1.83 million in November 2023.

*The Philippines’ employment rate rose to 96.9 percent last month from 95.7 percent in
December 2022 and 96.4 percent in November 2023, the PSA reported.

*The number of employed persons reached 50.52 million in December 2023, higher than
the 49 million and the 49.64 million posted in December 2022 and November 2023,
respectively.

*MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos assured the public that his administration would
sustain measures that create jobs, lure investments and upgrade the skills of workers after
the Philippines recorded a drop in unemployment rate last month.

*He said his administration would also pursue up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives and
promote innovation to equip Filipino workers with the necessary skills and adaptability to
thrive in many high-quality employment opportunities

*Last month’s labor force participation rate hit 66.6 percent, higher than the 66.4 percent
posted in the same month two years ago and the 65.9 percent recorded last November..

*He claimed that the higher labor force participation rate indicated a “growing confidence”
in the economy.

*The higher employment rate means more opportunities for the workforce while the lower
underemployment rate indicated an “improvement” in job quality and stability, the
President added.

*Marcos vowed to continue efforts to attract investments, generate jobs and promote
economic activity, citing policies and programs like the Public-Private Partnership Code and
the 4PH Housing Program.

*. The underemployment rate was at 11.9 percent in December, down from 12.6 percent in
the same period in 2022 but higher than the 11.7 percent recorded in November 2023

*According to the December 2023 Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate in the country went down to 3.1 percent from 4.3
percent in December 2022 and 3.6 percent in November 2023.
Use the following details to make a news
*According to Garcia, a direct amendment to the Constitution such as adding a phrase “as
provided for by law” or changing a provision on land ownership requires a separate and
single plebiscite “so that people can focus on whether they should allow such amendment
or not.

*“If you are to conduct a national plebiscite, there is a lot of logistical problems, because you
will not only consult Filipino voters in the country but also Filipinos abroad,” he said.

*A synchronized plebiscite to amend any provision of the 1987 Constitution cannot be done
together with the May 2025 midterm polls, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman
George Garcia said yesterday.

*“I hope (they) will be able to review a Supreme Court ruling … The Supreme Court says in
that case that you cannot include a plebiscite for the amendment of the Constitution and
regular elections,” he said in a television interview.

*Garcia explained that the high court ruling emphasized the need for voters to focus on
choosing a leader during regular elections.

*Garcia said there are three modes to amend the Constitution – constitutional convention,
constituent assembly and people’s initiative – all of which end in a plebiscite.

*“I would like to announce, we cannot hold such a plebiscite in 2025, the most that we can
hold that is in 2026,” he said, noting that the poll body cannot squeeze a plebiscite between
two national elections.

*The plebiscite is required, he said, because the people have to be consulted on whether or
not they will allow a particular amendment.

*“If it is amendment, focus on the amendment, if it is elections, focus on the elections

simply because you are not amending a simple law, you are amending the Constitution, the
very heart of our democratic processes,” the poll chief pointed out.

*In case the constitutional assembly can pass an amendment before the end of the year,
Garcia said the Comelec still cannot conduct a plebiscite between two scheduled elections in
2025.

*By the last quarter of 2024, Garcia said the Comelec would already be at the peak of
preparations for the May 2025 midterm polls.

*He said some P13 billion is needed to conduct a national plebiscite.

*Garcia also noted that a previous Supreme Court ruling prohibited the holding of a regular
election simultaneous with a national plebiscite.