Angono’s entry to Best Public Employment Service or PESO in 2015 was a program titled “Bawat Bahay May Naghahanap-Buhay,” the local government’s attempt at achieving inclusive growth.
It involves key stakeholders, the expanding vulnerable sectors, empowering them by increasing their employability and providing them with relevant trainings and livelihood opportunities.
The strategies included institutionalizing the office by combining PESO and Community Training and Livelihood Office; prioritizing those listed in Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program as priority in implementing employability enhancement schemes; maximizing social media and traditional forms in disseminating information so that stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the program; strengthening linkages with jobseekers and employers and other persons/organizations engaged in Employment Promotion Program;
Reducing unemployment by implementing and targeting marginalized sectors for the Special Program for the Employment of Students as well as Workers Hiring for Infrastructure Project; and contributing to the LGU’s waste reduction campaign by introducing “Resiklo Kapalit Ng Serbisyo ng PESO/CTLO,” in which PET bottles are submitted in exchange for services since PESO is a non-fee charging multi-employment service facility.
As a result of these strategies, from 70% Job Placement Rate in 2011, it significantly increased to 96.21% in 2015. On the same year, the number of employed based on PESO data is 4,898 (daily employment facilitation only, SPES Job Fair SRA LRA not included), cutting the number of unemployed by 86.90%.
From a respectable 79 recruitment activities in 2014, 2015 figures showed a 125.05% increase by attracting 98 companies/agencies conducted their local hiring in Angono Rizal.
The placement rate of applicants that were Hired-on-the-Spot (HOTS) during Job Fairs increased by more than ten percentage points (from 31.5% in 2014 to 43.51% in 2015).
The ”Resiklo Kapalit ng Serbisyong PESO/CTLO” component project is producing on the average 30 kilos of PET bottles weekly for Php 600.00 weekly additional money for Job Order Employees Development Fund (Annual projection would be 1,440 kilos or Php 28,800.00). This is a modest but a considerable contribution to the town’s waste reduction efforts.
Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) beneficiaries were maintained at 115, a 100% accomplishment rate from the target. Workers Hiring for Infrastructure Project (WHIP) was implemented in 2015 benefiting at least 10 skilled workers.
A number of livelihood training programs were implemented in 2015 under the BUB or Bottom Up Budgeting, in which a total of 273 beneficiaries were trained and given the chance to earn an annual additional average household income amounting to Php 72,000.00 (Bag Making, Water Hyacinth-based bags and mats, slipper making, and Cooperative Trainings).
On the same year and program, 210 beneficiaries benefitted from various technical skills trainings conducted that eventually led to employment (Automotive, Body Massage, Haircutting, Solar Panel Installation, Tour Guiding, Cookery and Bread and Pastry Production).
To address the lack of information on job vacancies, area-based in-demand skills and training service providers were in the area; public schools were targeted to be covered by the Career and Employment Advocacy benefitting 2,456 students. The Labor Market Information was shared to 278 institutions, covering 9,856 individuals compared to 229 institutions in 2014.
To further strengthen PESO’s local employment services and solve the job skills mismatch in the local market, through the Program, Angono Business Forum was convened and oriented on various PESO services. The local forum was introduced to the Philippine Center Chamber of Commerce and Industries-Rizal Chapter to facilitate exchange of information and sharing of expertise for their common good. The set-up helped the program in enhancing the jobseeker’s employability in the area. As an off-shoot of this initiative, most of the local companies coursed their recruitment to the local PESO.
The various interventions introduced by the Program changed dramatically the employment-seeking behavior of the stakeholders. More and more people are trooping to the PESO/CTLO office to access the unit’s various services. Gone were the days when the office would be lucky to have a couple of clients accessing its services.
Presently, an average of 30 clients visits PESO/CTLO on a daily basis. The schools were now the ones contacting the office for Career and Employment Advocacy Activities. Local companies opted out to utilize the PESO as their recruitment arm instead of the expensive recruitment agencies. The tagline “Trabaho ba Kamo? Tara na sa PESO Angono!” has become a by-word to jobseekers via the program’s intensive info campaign, thru its Facebook Page, its clients within Angono and nearby municipalities.
In 2016, Angono PESO won 2nd place behind Masinloc, Zambalez, which was the runner up in 2015 search.