3 Western Visayas PESOs win national employment awards

ILOILO CITY — Three Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) in Western Visayas received national honors in the 2025 National Search for Best PESO Awards, giving the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 a 60% success rate among its five nominees.

The recognition highlights the role of local employment offices in connecting jobseekers with employers and expanding access to employment and livelihood opportunities across the region.

The awards were presented during the 26th National PESO Congress on Oct. 14, 2026, in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

DOLE Region 6 also received a Plaque of Recognition for its support of PESOs and Job Placement Offices (JPOs).

The Provincial PESO of Antique emerged as the region’s top awardee, earning both the Grand Winner and Hall of Fame Awardee distinctions in the second-class province category.

Managed by Myra E. Pe, the Antique PESO received recognition for its performance in delivering employment services at the provincial level.

PESO Roxas City in Capiz, headed by Caroline T. Dadivas, was named the winner in the second- to fourth-class city category.

Meanwhile, PESO Tigbauan in Iloilo, managed by Ronell T. Conadera, won the first-class municipality category.

Two other employment offices in Iloilo represented Western Visayas as national nominees.

PESO Balasan, managed by Jen I. Guzman, competed in the second-class municipality category.

PESO Guimbal, headed by Ruby Joy B. Eala, was nominated in the third-class municipality category.

The regional nominees’ performance reflects DOLE Western Visayas’ continuing efforts to strengthen local employment services, improve access to job opportunities and promote responsive and inclusive employment programs.

PESOs are established and operated by local government units in coordination with DOLE to facilitate employment, provide labor market information and assist jobseekers in accessing available opportunities.

These offices also help employers recruit qualified workers and support government employment facilitation programs at the community level.

The national recognition underscores the importance of cooperation between national agencies and local governments in implementing employment and livelihood initiatives.

It also supports the administration’s employment agenda under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which aims to improve access to productive and sustainable work.

“For millions of Filipinos, employment is the means to provide for families, to put skills and education to good use, and to create a more secure future for ourselves. Our duty as a government is to ensure that they have the opportunities to pursue these goals,” Marcos said in his speech.

DOLE Region 6 attributed the achievement to the collective efforts of local government units, PESO managers, employment service personnel and regional labor officials.

The regional office is led by Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr., under the leadership of Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino.

DOLE said the recognition reinforces its commitment to bringing employment opportunities and labor services closer to jobseekers and communities throughout Western Visayas.