The Cordillera’s strong employment picture masks labor-market gaps, as workers may have skills but still face barriers to using them productively, researchers said at the Cordillera Policy Research Forum 2026.
The issue emerged during the forum’s morning session on labor supply and future-proofing the region’s workforce, in which researchers examined why skills do not always translate into productive work and improved economic outcomes.
Dr. Michael Ralph Abrigo, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), examined how the tasks performed by Filipino workers have changed over time, including the shift toward more cognitive work.
His presentation highlighted that having a skill does not automatically mean a worker can find a job or work situation where that skill can be productively used.
“Actually, you can have skills, but you cannot deploy those skills, because deploying those skills could be expensive,” he said.
Abrigo further explained that a person may have valuable skills but still face barriers—such as distance, job-search costs, workplace limitations, or lack of training and resources—that make those skills difficult to use productively.
The session also showed how people’s ability to sustain their livelihoods and recover from disruptions depends not only on their capacity to work but also on the resources and support available to them.
Benguet State University (BSU) Research Services Director Ruth Cichogan-Batani examined the experiences of strawberry growers and ambulant vendors in La Trinidad and how they coped with livelihood disruptions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her presentation showed how women drew on their agency, social networks, and “diskarte” or survival strategies to cope with restrictions and economic difficulties. She noted that recovery was also shaped by their access to resources and support systems, with marginalized women facing greater difficulty recovering from the disruptions.
Batani said these experiences also highlighted the importance of support systems in helping communities cope with crises. She called for stronger healthcare support, particularly at the community level, where barangay health workers continue to provide services.
“[We need] stronger healthcare system. We have primary healthcare even in our own communities, where our barangay health workers are actively navigating, negotiating realities, and providing the services,” Batani said.
The same gap between capability and opportunity emerged in agriculture, where farmers may have knowledge and technical needs but face institutional barriers to accessing support.
BSU College of Agriculture Dean Constantino Togan Sudaypan presented research on gaps in agricultural extension services in the Cordillera. The study, conducted in 2021–2022, examined the regional agriculture and fisheries extension system and identified gaps in service delivery.
Among the issues he described was fragmented service delivery, with different agencies and institutions providing assistance on different days, making it difficult for farmers to access multiple forms of support.
Changes in local government leadership and priorities can also disrupt continuity, requiring agencies and institutions to reintroduce extension programs to new local officials.
Sudaypan also noted that some of the gaps identified in the study remained and called for follow-up research to inform policy recommendations.
PIDS President Philip Arnold P. Tuaño put the issue in the broader context of human capital development.
“People may possess knowledge and skills and still encounter barriers that prevent them from realizing their full potential,” Tuaño said.
He cited several examples: a young person may receive a good education but find that their skills do not match available jobs; a farmer may possess knowledge and experience but lack access to extension services, technology, markets, or institutions that enable greater productivity; and a worker’s productivity may be constrained by poor health or precarious employment.
Tuaño said strong institutions can help remove these barriers between people’s capabilities and the opportunities available to them.
The session underscored that strengthening human capital requires more than investing in education and skills. It also requires labor-market conditions, public services, and institutions that allow people to use their capabilities productively.
The Cordillera Policy Research Forum 2026 was held on September 9 at Benguet State University as part of the 24th Development Policy Research Month.
It was organized by the PIDS in partnership with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development-Cordillera Administrative Region (DEPDev-CAR), Philippine Information Agency-CAR, and BSU, with support from the Socioeconomic Research Portal of the Philippines (SERP-P) network.
Watch the full video playback at https://bit.ly/pidslive090926. ### — RTG
