Labor market information

ASIDE from regular reports required of offices, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) requires Public Employment Service Offices (Peso) nationwide to prepare and submit, inter alia, the labor market information (LMI), skills registry skills form (SRS) and others which, as the labor situation warrants, are to be prepared and submitted by concerned offices and agencies.

As highlighted in the DOLE's publication, The Philippine Labor, "LMI campaign in the grassroots provides an avenue for bringing the right labor market signals towards the right careers with high employability after graduation."

Indeed, there are reports and instances of job mismatch, a case where the prospective worker does not possess the correct and adequate skills and preparation for the job offered. This is where career guidance for graduates rightly and timely comes in.

The publication continues thus: LMI should be the real trend to be followed by the youth. It does not only link future jobseekers to employment opportunities, but also guide them towards appropriate choices of career training and education that are compatible with their interests and abilities and with the labor market demand. We, therefore, hear of complaints from workers who are not happy and satisfied with their current work and positions.

For workers seeking opportunities abroad, there is PhilJob.net, likewise being espoused by the POEA which is under the supervision of Dole. This device or scheme makes ready and convenient the data of employable individuals: skills, educational attainment and other personal circumstances.

Toward this end and objective, the Dole secretary's directive is forceful and timely, not to mention, effective: the Bureau of Labor Employment and Dole regional offices "must effect greater involvement and intensive action in bringing down labor market information to the grassroots to reinforce and employability and productivity of the country's labor force."

Progressive countries like those in Europe and in the United States have strong labor forces. It should be so in the Philippines, with the Dole in an active role.

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At PESO Mabalacat City, the 27 barangays have coordinators who scour their respective areas of able-bodies, including out-of-school youths, who are trainable and employable. They are in constant coordination with the City Chief Coordinator and the provincial government headed by the solicitous Governor Lilia "Nanay Baby" G. Pineda.

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As announced even on national TV, the country's Special Program for the Employment of Students or SPES, will take off soon and there are also enrollees to this program which is mandated by law. PESO Mabalacat City is currently entertaining applicants for SPES.