FOR three years in a row now, the Public Employment Service Office (Peso) of Bacolod City has been awarded by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole-Western Visayas) as the number one highly urbanized city in Western Visayas in terms of employment facilitation program.

Peso-Bacolod was chosen the regional grand winner for Best Peso Employment Information System (PEIS) Implementer in the region under the Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) category for three consecutive years: 2017, 2018, and 2019.

The award means that the Bacolod City government had implemented a database with the highest number of registered jobseekers and registered establishments in the city that helped facilitate potential employment opportunities for Bacolodnons.

Peso-Bacolod officer-in-charge Ma. Rebecca Balicas said for 2019, they had registered 25,817 jobseekers.

Balicas received the award in Iloilo City, and presented the plaque to Mayor Evelio Leonardia at the Bacolod City Government Center recently.

It can be recalled that the City of Bacolod co-hosted with the provincial government of Negros Occidental the 19th National Peso Congress last October 2019 that was held at SMX Convention Center.

Dole Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who was the guest speaker at the opening ceremony, had urged local government units to establish their own employment offices to boost efforts in generating jobs.

Peso has made a huge contribution in terms of job generation, and the facilitation of jobs needs the help of the local government, Bello added. (PR)