IF THE Senate Bill No. 1278 or the proposed Trabaho Center in Schools Act will pass into law as sponsored by Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino, public high schools and state universities and colleges will have job placement offices.
As reported, “The primary aim of the bill is to help and properly guide students in choosing the career tracks that they intend to pursue and to aid in matching senior high school students with industry employment opportunities”.
For the record, Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) have been conducting, with monitoring by Dole, career guidance counselling for Senior High School students to guide them in their choices of careers.
PESO, therefore, should perforce be included in the Senate Bill as they play a vital role in the employment opportunities of SHS students.
Aquino justified the measure thus: we need this measure to help Filipino families who are drowning over the high prices. We need to augment the family's everyday budget.
The explanatory note of the Aquino bill declares: the Trabaho Center is envisioned to be the institutionalized office in all senior high schools that is mandated to aid in facilitating employment for all senior high school graduates.
This office is expected to work closely with the provincial, city or municipal Public Employment Service Offices and shall be supervised by Trabaho Center coordinators in the Department of Education (DepEd) division offices.
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PESO Mabalacat City, in close coordination with Dole regional office 3's
Arlene Tolentino, Arlene Castillo and Alex Inza Cruz, who are supportive of the PESO's activities, is in the thick of things giving employment opportunities to residents of the city. Additionally, it gives skills trainings and offers livelihood programs.
It has Career Guidance counselling programs with partner schools where
PESO makes it a point that senior high school students are given the right directions in the choice of career once they graduate.
PESO Mabalacat City is headed by Bernard B. de los Reyes and is assisted by Virgie Miranda, in charge of local employment, Alma C. Pontillas, in charge of career guidance and LEGS and other staff members who have their respective assignments.