THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has partnered with the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES) and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to enhance its public employment services.
The initiative aims to strengthen the capacities of DoLE and its 1,592 Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) nationwide, ensuring more efficient and effective service delivery for job seekers, it said in a statement on Sunday.
Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres said the project aligns with the government’s Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan, the country’s employment masterplan.
She added the significance of collaboration in advancing employment facilitation, sharing best practices and developing strategic approaches to workforce development.
A preliminary meeting was held last Feb. 6, at the DoLE Central Office in Manila, where representatives from the three institutions discussed the Japan-WAPES Joint Project for the Philippines.
A high-level meeting in Japan is scheduled next month to further refine the project, with a focus on DoLE’s Five-Point PESO Agenda, the agency said.
This includes PESO institutionalization, personnel capacity development, strengthening public employment service functions, improving linkages among government, industry, and education sectors, and accelerating digital transformation, it added.
In 2024, the country’s PESOs achieved a 98% job placement success rate, registering 3 million job seekers, securing 5.7 million job vacancies, and placing 2.7 million individuals in local and overseas employment.
Additionally, 32,000 job seekers were provided with training programs to improve their employability. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana