Malacanang said on Thursday there is a shortage of construction workers in the Philippines in the wake of the Build, Build Build program of the government.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda) will be training about 100,000 people to fulifll the ambitious infrastructure plan of the government until 2022.

"Of course we have to do this, because apparently the Build, Build, Build program has already resulted in some kind of a shortage for construction workers here in the Philippines," he said.

Roque said Tesda has started receiving application forms in 122 Tesda Training Centers on February 27 and 28 for the national technical-vocational education and training, enrolment and jobs bridging.

"Graduates of the skills training especially the indigenous peoples, the poor, the rebel returnees will be recruited to play a vital role in the development of infrastructure projects such as the construction of roads, bridges and establishments," he said.

The Duterte administration is eyeing a P8 trillion budget to finance the government's massive infrastructure program until 2022. Celerina Monte/DMS