DOLE brings employment services to communities with 1st barangay PESO in Caraga
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
BISLIG CITY, Surigao del Sur (PIA) — In a major step toward strengthening employment facilitation at the grassroots, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) inaugurated the first Barangay Public Employment Services Office (BPESO) in Caraga in Barangay Mangagoy, Bislig City. The initiative aims to make labor programs and services more accessible to local communities while supporting national workforce development goals.
Mangagoy Punong Barangay Aaron Castillo highlighted the direct benefits to constituents, saying, “It is a significant milestone for the constituents of Barangay Mangagoy to have easier access to employment and other programs of DOLE and save the cost of going to the city proper for transacting and inquiring about DOLE programs.”
The BPESO will serve as a frontline extension of DOLE and the City PESO, providing job referral and placement, employment facilitation, labor market information, career guidance, and assistance to jobseekers, employers, and vulnerable sectors. It will also support DOLE programs, including emergency employment, livelihood assistance, and workforce development initiatives in the grassroots level.
DOLE Caraga Regional Director Jason P. Balais emphasized the project’s national impact, noting the BPESO will help address local job mismatches, improve labor market access, and foster inclusive economic growth, aligning with the government’s nationwide employment facilitation efforts.
Representatives from the Bislig City government, including Vice Mayor Conrad C. Cejoco and City Assistant Administrator Jerson Coma, along with key stakeholders, joined the inauguration on February 9, underscoring the shared commitment of DOLE, the BLGU-Mangagoy, and the city government of Bislig to bring government services closer to the people.
The establishment of the BPESO in Barangay Mangagoy highlights the Philippine government’s dedication to decentralizing employment services nationwide, ensuring that DOLE programs are accessible at the community level, and reinforcing local economic development, while addressing workforce needs across the country. (NGPB, PIA Surigao del Sur)
