Lingayen- – -Pangasinan Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO) has been elevated to the much-coveted Hall of Fame after being adjudged as the National Best PESO Award for first class Provincial Category for three consecutive years (2012, 2013, 2014) under the category of 1st class province during the Best PESO Awards Night of the 15th National PESO Congress held on October 28 at the Phil. International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
The search, an annual activity organized by the Department of Labor and Employment, aims to recognize the significant contributions and outstanding accomplishments of PESOs in the implementation of DOLE employment facilitation programs.
President Benigno S. Aquino, III was the keynote speaker during the opening of the National PESO Congress on October 26.
Pangasinan PESO chief Alex F. Ferrer said that the award came as a vivid evidence of the provincial government’s hard work and dedication under the leadership of Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. whose main objective is to provide every Pangasinense household secured employment to include livelihood projects as pipeline of empowering the women as well as providing source of income for OFW families.
It can be recalled that from July 2007 to June 2015, Pangasinan PESO was able to place more than 11,000 job applicants both for local-including Pangasinan– and overseas employment.
Aside from job fairs facilitation and special recruitments, the Pangasinan PESO has a wide range of programs and projects which are geared towards uplifting the lives of the people.
Career coaching as well as employment seminars are offered to aid more tertiary and secondary students. This is made possible in coordination with the DOLE.
Labor market information is likewise available to provide clients with information regarding labor market situation in the area.
In addition, the Pangasinan PESO has partnered with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DF) to launch a pro-active migration and development programs.
Through this, the province has earlier facilitated the repatriation of some 20 OFWs from the Middle East.
To minimize if not eradicate the proliferation of illegal recruiters and human traffickers, the Pangasinan PESO endeavored to offer grassroots service through the launching of the innovative and comprehensive activity like Bantay-Barangay, Tulong Hanapbuhay.
With a developed community program, the community service spirit of volunteerism was revitalized.
Another accomplishment attained by the employment office was the conduct of skills training for OFWs dubbed ‘Kabyutihang Pangkabuhayan’ where 40 undocumented workers and returnees have benefitted.
Manpower and enterprise development is another distinct achievement of the province which was made possible via Tulong Hanapbuhay para sa mga Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) and Negokart projects in which the ambulant vendors and recipients of the 4Ps program of the DSWD are the main beneficiaries.
In a media statement, DOLE-Region 1 Director Grace Ursua lauded the Provincial PESO and the Provincial Government of Pangasinan for the latest feat, saying it just placed the whole region in the annals of milestone achievement on employment.
As a whole, PESO Pangasinan was adjudged by the labor department for its efficiency, capability and better quality of work in terms of facilitating employment of jobseekers, serving as a labor market information, providing recruitment schedules, manpower pooling, job referral and placement, and other programs benefitting the people of the province.
(Ruby R. Bernardino)