By Roche Angon, National Project Coordinator
MDG Fund Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Work for Filipino Youth

Officials of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Public Employment Service Office from Agusan del Sur, Antique, Maguindanao and Masbate were trained on basic employment services. The Millennium Development Goal Fund (MDG F) Joint Programme Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Work for Filipino Youth through the International Labour Organization and DOLE conducted the Training on Basic Employment Services held in September 2011.

The training aimed to contribute towards enhancing the capabilities of DOLE and local government units to deliver employment facilitation services through the PESO. It covered topics on core functions of PESO which include the labour market information (LMI); referral and placement; and guidance and counselling.

It provided an avenue for the participants to have a hands-on exercise on the Phil-JobNet Online System, the labour market information portal of the Philippine government. The site will also serve as a database to track job opportunities for PESO clients including disadvantaged youth. PESO interconnectivity in four provinces and surrounding urban areas is the priority collaboration of ILO, DOLE and the local government units after the training.

Part of the training was the field visit to municipal and provincial PESO in Batangas wherein participants observed actual operations of the PESO and learned about good practices. The training also provided an international perspective on public employment services.

The training will be part of the core courses of the Bureau of Local Employment of DOLE for PESO through the DOLE regional offices.

The Joint Programme partnered with the Bureau of Local Employment to increase access of young people to decent and productive work through employment services with gender sensitive career guidance, and referral and tracking services. It recognized the role of PESO to ensure provision of employment services and to promote alternative local employment opportunities.

To date, key results delivered and achieved relating to enhancing employment services in four provinces include:

Development of PESO Institutionalization Kit that will be used as key reference by DOLE and local government units to institutionalize PESO, in support of DOLE’s advocacy to institutionalize PESO as its key employment facilitation reform and to improve access to employment opportunities

Integration of PESO and One-Stop Resource Center for a more integrated and systematic delivery of employment services to the youth, and

Assessment of local employment services using ILO tools and evaluative factors.

For further information please contact

Ms Roche Angon
MDG Fund Joint Programme on Alternatives to Migration: Decent Work for Filipino Youth
+63 2 580 9900
Email