Senators urge local execs to institutionalize PESO

(October 24, 2012) Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Teofisto Guingona III urged the local chief executives to put on their priority lists the creation of employment service officers in their Local Government Units (LGU).

Speaking in front of more than 700 Public Employment Service Officers (PESO) who attended the annual National PESO Congress in Baguio City on October 10 to 13, both senators expressed their sympathy to PESOs, who despite the bulk of their work, still continue to function on designated capacities.

The two senators believed that PESOs do contribute a lot in curbing the problem of unemployment in their respective localities, and the country in general.

Results of the July 2012 Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office showed that there are 2.8 million jobless Filipinos.

Estrada, who also sits as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, said that it is high time that governors and mayors start creating plantilla positions for employment service officers as mandated by Republic Act 8759 otherwise known as the PESO Act of 1999. “If we really want to address the problem of unemployment and jobs mismatch, then it is imperative to institutionalize the PESOs”, Estrada said.

Guingona was also impressed at the various accomplishments of PESOs in many parts of the country that even despite the lack of manpower, they are still able to do their share of reducing unemployment in their areas. “I’m sure that PESO Managers can be more effective in their work if they are given support staff and budget allocation.” said guingona. “Above all, they can function efficiently if their positions relative to employment are permanent in the local government.

The Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) reports that as of this year, there are 1,834 established PESOs nationwide but only 1,205 are considered operational.  The BLE report further showed that only 119 PESOs are institutionalized. However, there was a positive improvement on the BLE report that showed a remarkable increase in institutionalized PESOs in three years time. In 2010, not even one PESO is institutionalized.

Under the PESO Act, LGUs are mandated to institutionalize existing PESOs including the support staff so that promotion of employment in their respective areas of jurisdiction is given focus and priority. By institutionalization, permanent positions for the PESO personnel are created and funded to carry out the various tasks on employment.

PESO Managers of Sultan Kudarat Province

The core functions of a PESO include job search assistance and placement services, labor market information services, administration of labor market programs, and regulatory services.  

Allan Freno