President Benigno S. Aquino III along with former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo and DILG Secretary Senen Sarmiento are prayed over by Bishop Francisco Santos and Bishop Jonel MIlan during the Thanksgiving Celebration and National Transformation Assembly of the Tarlac First Baptist Church. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Benigno Aquino III on Monday signed into law amendments to the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Act.
The law was signed during the 15th National PESO Congress held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. It was witnessed by lawmaker-authors both from the House of Representatives and the Senate, among others.
Vissia Marie Aldon, president of the PESO Managers Association of the Philippines, Inc., said the amendatory provisions will institutionalize the PESO in all local government units across the country, “thereby expanding and transforming its function into a multi-dimensional facility for employment, livelihood, and training.”
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that under the new law, all PESOs will have their own budget and office space. Permanent plantilla positions will also be created for PESO personnel.
The amendments will also improve labor market information and employment facilitation service through computerized systems of monitoring, coordination, and reporting, said Baldoz.
The amended PESO Act will also allow local government officials to fund PESOs and its initiatives through their internal revenue allotment.
President Aquino said amendments to the PESO Act will modernize PESO offices to help address the problem of job-skills mismatch.
“Mas alam ng lokal na pamahalaan ang mga pagkakataon sa kanilang lugar, at mas madali nilang mailalapit ang ating mga Boss sa trabaho,” he said.
Aquino said he hopes that more Filipinos will be given job opportunities through the new law.
“Ang paglilingkod na ginagawa n’yo sa PESO, pati na ang inyong kontribusyon sa sektor ng paggawa, ay hindi lang tungkol sa pagbibigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan. Pinagkakalooban ninyo sila ng pagkakataong tuparin ang kanilang mga pangarap. Walang katapat na halaga ang ganoong klase ng pakiramdam,” he said.
Aquino noted that the unemployment rate fell from 7.4 percent in 2010 when he assumed office to 6.6 percent in 2014.
Senator Sonny Angara, one of the authors of the law, earlier said that strengthening the polices of the PESO will help new graduates, especially in rural areas, to secure employment.
Angara noted that in many instances, successful PESOs function as one-stop shops for employees and serve as a conduit to government offices for essential services such as processing of passports and helping repatriated overseas Filipino workers. (MNS)