TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan— Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Managers in Region 02, the government’s frontline employment facilitation officers, who exceled in the performance of their duties and responsibilities in CY 2012 were awarded last week by DOLE Region 2.
The awarding ceremony was part of the Regional PESO Convention/General Assembly, Year-End Performance Assessment and Planning Workshop which was conducted on 23-24 January 2013 at Veniz Hotel, Baguio City.

“The PESO Managers are our treasures worthy of recognition. They are our indispensable partners in bridging the gap between the jobseekers and employers,” Atty. Rodriguez said.

Awarded PESO Managers were the following: Marites Taccad of the Provincial Government of Cagayan, Provincial category; Antonio Carreon of Santiago City, Highly Urbanized City category; Jose Aquino of Alicia, Isabela, 1st to 2nd Class Municipality; Emerson Saldivar of Cordon, Isabela, 3rd to 4th Class Municipality; and Franny Balanay of Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan for the 5th to 6th Class Municipality category. The awardees received cash prize of P5,000 each plus certificate of recognition.

“I hope these awards will be an inspiration or challenge to all PESO Managers. Next year, we will be again awarding performers. I am encouraging them to continue making the lives of their clients better by supporting DOLE programs geared towards poverty and unemployment reduction such as Job Fair, Job Referral, Integrated Livelihood Assistance, Skills Registry System, Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) and many more,” Atty. Rodriguez added.

There were also special awards given to some PESO Managers who performed well in implementing a particular DOLE program. The best in SPES Implementer were Liezel Baingan of Nagtipunan, Quirino and Jose Rebultan of Lasam, Cagayan. The award for Best in Livelihood Implementer went to Jose Aquino of Alicia, Isabela and Nieves Corpuz of Saguday, Quirino. Antonio Carreon of Santiago City got the Best PhilJobNet Implementer for he posted the most number of job applicants online and Lilia Albano of Cauayan City for she uploaded the most number of job vacancies online. Also, Antonio Carreon bagged the Best Job Fair Implementer. The awardees received Certificate of Recognition and a cash prize ranging P1,000 to P1,500 each.

Some 75 PESO Managers and staffs all over Region 2 attended this year’s Regional Convention. This yearly activity aims to strengthen the PESO program and enhance the capability of the PESO Managers to effectively implement the employment and livelihood programs in their respective areas. This further aims to assess their performance for the past year and plan activities for the coming year.

The PESO is established pursuant to RA 8759, an act institutionalizing a national employment facilitation service through the establishment of said office in every municipality, province, city, and other strategic areas in the country, which was enacted in 1999.

However, the first PESO established in the country was in Region 2 in March, 1992. It was conceptualized by the then DOLE Region 2 Director, Arturo Sodusta, Jr. and was actualized by the virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Provincial Government of Cagayan.

At present, there are 104 PESOs in Region 2.