DOLE honors Western Visayas PESOs for employment services

ILOILO CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment in Western Visayas recognized Public Employment Service Office managers and personnel for their work in delivering employment services across the region during the PESO Midyear Performance Recognition Night at the Ker & Co. Ltd. Building on Aug. 18, 2026.

The recognition highlighted the people behind local employment services, including those who assist job seekers and employers, implement government employment programs, and provide career and labor market information.

DOLE Western Visayas Regional Director Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. said the awards night put the spotlight on personnel responsible for delivering employment services at the local level.

“To all our PESO managers and staff, these awards are a recognition of your hard work, commitment, and valuable contributions to employment facilitation in Western Visayas.”

“Your performance demonstrates that when government agencies and local partners work together, we can provide better opportunities and stronger support for our workers, jobseekers, and employers.”

The recognition also aligns with the Marcos administration’s efforts to expand employment opportunities and strengthen employment services for Filipino workers.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has emphasized the need to create more decent and meaningful employment opportunities, while Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino has underscored the role of PESOs in bringing employment services closer to workers and job seekers.

The awards recognized PESOs for their performance in applicant registration and referral, job placement, vacancy solicitation, employer registration, labor market information, career development, and employment program implementation.

Programs and services covered by the recognition included the Special Program for Employment of Students, or SPES; Government Internship Program, or GIP; JobStart Philippines; job fairs; Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program, or CLPEP; and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers, or TUPAD.

The recognition also highlighted the role of PESOs in making government employment programs more accessible to communities.

PESO personnel help job seekers find employment opportunities, provide information on available jobs, assist employers in finding potential workers, facilitate career development activities, and support the local implementation of DOLE programs.

DOLE Western Visayas also honored PESO managers for their years of service to their communities.

The PESO Service Awards recognized personnel who have served for at least 10 years, with some awardees recording more than two decades in public employment service.

Their years of service reflect the long-term role of PESO personnel in assisting job seekers, workers, and employers while bringing government employment services closer to communities.

The recognition also underscored the partnership between DOLE and local government units in strengthening employment facilitation across Western Visayas.

Under Republic Act 8759, or the Public Employment Service Office Act of 1999, and its 2015 amendment, Republic Act 10691, PESOs form part of the government’s employment facilitation network, with local governments operating and maintaining offices in provinces, cities, and municipalities.

With PESOs serving as frontline partners, employment programs and services can reach communities more directly and respond to the needs of local workers, job seekers, and employers.

DOLE Western Visayas also commended all PESO managers and personnel, including those who were not among the awardees, for their continued work in delivering employment services in their localities.

The awards night was part of the 2026 Western Visayas PESO Congress, a four-day gathering of about 200 PESO managers and personnel, local chief executives, and employment stakeholders from cities and municipalities across the region.

DOLE Western Visayas said the recognition served as a way to thank PESOs for helping job seekers find opportunities, assisting employers, and bringing employment programs closer to the communities they serve.

As labor market needs continue to change, DOLE Western Visayas and its PESO partners remain committed to providing more responsive employment services across the region.