CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) in Central Luzon achieved high scorecards at its recently concluded Year-End Planning Assessment (YEPA), the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said Wednesday.
The three-day assessment, hosted by the PESO Managers Federation of Central Luzon, in support of PESO Pampanga, from February 15 to 17, was held at the Holiday Inn, Clark Freeport Zone.
DOLE Regional Director Ana Dione reported to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz that 150 delegates comprising PESO Managers/Personnel from 120 PESOs all over the region participated in the YEPA.
Dione was joined by PESO Central Luzon president and Zambales Vice Governor Ramon Lacbain II, PESO Managers for Bulacan and Pampanga--Elizabeth Alonzo and Luningning Vergara in overseeing the YEPA.
Also present were the Central Luzon Career Guidance Network (CL-CGN), who are now mainstays to PESO assessments and other activities to ensure stronger partnerships among networks.
Technical Support and Service Division for Employment and Welfare head Alejandro Inza Cruz kicked-off the assessment by highlighting selected notable year-end accomplishments achieved by the PESOs.
First is the placement of 212,110 jobseekers for local and overseas employment, which recorded an astonishing placement rate of 92 percent over 229,336 referred applicants.
The placement rate, according to Inza Cruz, can be attributed to the PESOs’ strong commitment in promoting employment opportunities in the region, especially to the grassroots.
Inza Cruz also highlighted 5,390 jobseekers whichwere hired on the spot (HOTS) in 20 region-wide job fairs held during the Labor Day, Independence Day, and DOLE 82nd Anniversary celebrations.
Inza Cruz noted that the HOTS represented a 27 percent placement rate over 19,676 qualified applicants vying for 129,687 job vacancies from 1,103 participating employers.
The placement rate achieved by the PESOs also surpassed the Department’s 15-20 percent placement rate target for recorded HOTS during the region-wide job fairs.
On youth employment, some 21,706 poor but deserving students were provided short-term employment opportunities through the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
To date, around P59,909,269 SPES funds, representing government’s 40 percent share for the payment of salaries of SPES-beneficiaries, have already been released to them.
The remaining 60 percent of their salaries, on the other hand, were shouldered by the Dole’s SPES-partners from participating local government units (LGUs) and private firms.
Aside from the SPES, some 542 youth-beneficiaries comprising college graduates/undergraduates, tech-voc and high school graduates were engaged in government work under the DOLE’s Government Internship Program (GIP).
As “Dole-Interns,” GIP beneficiaries have undertaken “life skills” and worked for 6 months and assigned to various LGUs, barangays, public schools, and other government offices.
For future entrants to the labor force, some 111,365 graduating high school students, from 663 schools, attended Career and Employment Guidance Coaching (CEGC) seminars.
Aside from the students, a quite number of parents also attend the CEGC seminars in order for them to be informed of the latest trends in the labor market.
Inza Cruz credited the close coordination between the PESO sand Career Guidance Network (CGN) in promoting Career Guidance Advocacy awareness to minimize future jobs mismatch.
On provision of livelihood assistance, some 6,586 informal workers comprising farmers, ambulant vendors, working youths, housewives, and persons with disabilities, were provided livelihood assistance/projects amounting to P25,746,225.00.
The livelihood projects include Negokarts, Starter KITS, Dole-DOST Convergence Program, Youth Employment Program (YES), and Workers Income Augmentation Program (WIN-AP), among others.
Meanwhile, some 1,652 marginalized individuals were provided with P6,954,290.00 emergency employment assistance under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad).
The Tupad is a 10-day emergency employment where worker-beneficiaries performed community works such as cleaning of roads and drainages at the region’s prevailing minimum wage.
Inza Cruz noted that the funding for all livelihood and emergency employment assistance was sourced from the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) and DOLE Adjustments Measurement Program (DOLE-AMP).
Dione, who thanked and commended the efforts of the entire Central Luzon PESO Family, urged them for their continued partnership in empowering jobseekers and the marginalized sector.
“I would like to thank the entire Central Luzon PESO Family, along with their counterparts in the barangay and school level, for giving their 101 percent commitment and support in the implementation of our programs and services to our clients and program partners. The greatest reward in being a PESO is seeing our countless of jobseekers and beneficiaries secure decent jobs or having their livelihood projects become formidable small businesses,” Dione said.
“I wish nothing more but our continued and sustained partnership because when we work together hand in hand, we can ensure that we could help empower more people and transform their lives by providing them sustainable jobs or livelihood in order for them to give a better quality life to their families. This in turn would also boost the economy in our region,” she added.
The 2015 PESO YEPA, which was held as a kick-off activity of the PESO’s 25th Anniversary, anchors the theme “DOLE: Mga Kwento ng Pagbabago” and “Pagbabalik Tanaw sa Nakalipas na Dalawampu’t Limang Taong Pagseserbisyo.” (Jerry Borja/DOLE-3 LCO)