A TOTAL of 21 members of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) sector completed their special employment on March 19, 2026.
They are the first batch of PWDs employed under the local government’s initiative to provide equal work opportunities in Davao City. These roles typically include five-month part-time positions in fast-food chains, as part of efforts to create a more PWD-friendly business environment.
Lilibeth Pantinople, head of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO), said that the beneficiaries, who are deaf and hard of hearing, worked for five months with eight-hour shifts. She added that they started working in November 2025 and completed their employment in March 2026.
Pantinople expressed gratitude to the businesses that signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA), enabling PWDs to work in their companies, noting that finding employment for individuals in this sector has been very challenging.
Heidi Cabahog, one of the beneficiaries who worked in a pizza fast-food chain, said it was her first time working in such an environment and that she enjoyed gaining experience from it. She expressed her gratitude to Peso, PDAO, and the management of the fast-food chain for providing them with employment.
“They helped us by providing job opportunities for the deaf community,” she said in sign language.
Pantinople said that around 75 PWDs applied for the positions; however, the office was only able to accommodate 21 individuals due to limited slots. She added that those who were not included in the first batch would have another opportunity in the next round of hiring.
Expanding the program
Pantinople said that the office will conduct a job fair on March 27, 2026, at Felcris Centrale to recruit the second batch of PWDs, as well as the third and fourth batches of senior citizens.
However, she clarified that they will only be hiring the same number of PWDs. She added that they are working to expand the program and encouraged more businesses to partner with the office to create additional employment opportunities for the PWD sector.
“Daghan pod mga companies na gina-consider nila ni nga programa, so we hope and pray na sa next year na daghan na kaayo ta mga partners (There are also many companies are considering this program, so we hope and pray that by next year we will already have many partners),” she said in a media interview on March 19, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus Jr. said he is pleased with the successful completion of the first batch and hopes the program will continue to expand, as the local government is keen on institutionalizing it.
Apart from the PWD beneficiaries, Pantinople said that the second batch of senior citizens has already started working. They will be employed for three months with four-hour work shifts.
Opportunities for senior citizens and PWDs
To recall, Mahipus Jr. first proposed the initiative during a privilege speech on October 10, 2023. By July 9, 2024, he reported that two major fast-food chains had committed to hiring senior citizens, while further reviews of the city’s employment programs were ongoing.
The initiative, supported by the recently approved Senior Citizens Work Opportunity Ordinance, aims to help senior citizens and persons with disabilities earn income, remain active, and feel recognized in the community.
The local government has signed a MOA with two large fast-food chains for a work opportunity program for senior citizens and PWDs.
As of 2024, the Social Welfare Operations Division estimates that Davao City has around 170,000 senior citizens. The Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) also reported that there are approximately 34,000 registered PWDs in the city as of 2024. RGP