Teleperformance Top 5 2023 World’s Best Workplaces

Multi-awarded, leading digital business services company Teleperformance (TP) has secured its third consecutive recognition in Fortune Magazine’s World's Best Workplaces™ 2023 roster. TP ranked 5th out of 25 global companies selected in the prestigious list which surveyed 14.8 million employees worldwide.   
    World's Best Workplaces™ 2023 honors companies that strongly elevate employee experience by fostering a diverse, inclusive, and fair workplace culture. Teleperformance ascended from 11th place previously to 5th place, reflecting its unrelenting efforts to build empowering and rewarding workplaces for its employees.

    TP received 220,353 survey responses from its employees worldwide in 2023. The survey featured key factors that determine great workplaces, which include fair pay, healthy work-life balance support, and a shared voice in a workplace setting.
    “This recognition is a crowning achievement to the grit and greatness of our people. It affirms the high trust and confidence that employees place upon Teleperformance in their journey to realize their dreams for themselves and their loved ones. And we will continue to honor our people’s faith in us by providing them with safe, empowering, and rewarding workplaces,” said Rahul Jolly, Teleperformance Philippines Chief Executive Officer.
    Teleperformance maintains the company’s support for healthy work-life balance through various initiatives, including the launch of its “Work Wherever You Live, Live Wherever You Love” campaign, which features Cloud Campus, a long-term remote work solution that allows home-based interaction experts to stay connected with their Teleperformance team at their convenience. With the company's streamlined operations, exemplified by servicing over 70 clients through Cloud Campus, TP gained its Contact Center World (CCW) award in November.
    Employee resource groups (ERGs), such as TP Women and TP Pride,  present collective opportunities for frontline employees and senior leaders alike to tackle challenges that women and LGBTQIA+ employees face. Additionally, the organization focuses on impact sourcing to provide employment for persons with disabilities (PWDs), retired and displaced workers, high school graduates, and out-of-school youth.   
    “Earning the title as one of the Best Workplaces in the Philippine IT-BPM industry and achieving the Great Place to Work® designation six times this 2023 are remarkable feats already, thanks to our people,” said Chief People Officer Jeffrey Johnson. “And now being named Top 5 best workplace globally, I can definitely say that our incredible 60,000-strong team in the Philippines is out to do better, bigger, and greater things from the Philippines to the world,” he added. 
      In 2023, Teleperformance was certified as a Great Place to Work® in the Philippines for the sixth consecutive year. TP is also the first, the largest and first BPO company in the Philippines to achieve the Great Place to Work® certification.
  To learn more about Teleperformance Philippines, visit their website at www.teleperformance.com.  
 
 
 

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2-K vacancies up for grabs in Benguet job fair

JOB FAIR -- The Benguet provincial government holds a two-day job fair at the capitol building Nov. 13 to 14. The activity coincides with the month-long celebration of the Adivay festival and the province’s 123rd founding anniversary. -- Liza Agoot/ PNA 

As part of Adivay fest 

By Liza Agoot 

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some 2,000 job vacancies for local and foreign job placements were offered to jobseekers in the Nov. 13 to 14 job fair here at  the Benguet provincial capitol.
    Julie Tabcao, the province’s Public Employment Services Office (PESO) chief, said 12 local companies and 10 overseas manpower agencies joinined the two-day event as part of the month-long Adivay festival.
    “This is an annual activity, and we have institutionalized this as part of the Adivay festival to serve our people who are searching for jobs,” Tabcao said Monday of the activity, which also coincides with the 123rd Benguet Foundation Day.
Tabcao said over 300 jobseekers have been listed in the pre-registration conducted by the PESO office.
    “We are happy that as early as the morning of the first day, we have a lot of walk-in applicants who were here looking at the list of vacancies for something that might interest them,” she said.
    For those attending the event on the second day, she advised them earlier to bring documents such as resume, certificate of employment (if relevant), passport-size photo, a copy of their professional license (for board passers) and passport for those interested in finding an overseas job.
    Tabcao said local mining and utility companies such as Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation, Itogon-Suyoc Resources Inc. and Aboitiz subsidiary Hedcor Inc. sought to fill multiple job vacancies, including engineers and other positions.
    She added other participating local companies sought to fill up positions, such as customer service representatives, heavy equipment operators, cashiers, butchers and geologists.
    For those aiming to work abroad, Tabcao said welders and heavy equipment operators were mostly sought in Japan and other countries. -- PNA
 

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Mining industry provides 5K jobs in Ilocos Region

ROBUST INDUSTRY -- Mines and Geosciences Bureau officials, headed by Ilocos Regional Director Carlos Tayag (middle) says the mining industry generated almost 5,000 jobs in the region in 2022. The sector posted P2 billion in gross revenues and P93.7 million in taxes, fees, and royalties last year. 

By Hilda Austria 

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan - The Mines and Geosciences Bureau recorded 4,963 jobs generated through the mining industry in Ilocos Region in 2022.
    In a virtual press conference on Monday, MGB Regional Office No. 1 Mine Management division chief Engr. Renato Rimando said the industry in the region is robust as it continues to provide jobs and create wealth in terms of payment of taxes to the local governments and the national government.
    According to the MGB data, the sector posted gross earnings of PHP2 billion last year, from the value of limestone, pebbles, sand and gravel, shale, silica, calcareous sandstone, zeolite, and bentonite.
    The amount of taxes and fees paid and royalties generated amounted to PHP93.7 million.
    "Sand and gravel industry are prime mover in the implementation of infra projects," Rimando said.
    In terms of environmental protection and rehabilitation programs, mining companies spent PHP8.1 million for environmental and rehabilitation programs and PHP10.2 million for social development and management programs, with 62 barangays as recipients.
    Rimando said they have issued 254 mining permits, two for cement plants, and seven for mineral processing.
    MGB Ilocos regional director engineer Carlos Tayag, during same event, said although mining has negative connotations it has benefited the region.
    "Our country is highly mineralized. We have to really develop them as trees and plants in most of the areas being mined cannot live. There are programs on how to rehabilitate the areas," he said.
    Meanwhile, Rimando assured the public that while they intend to open more areas for mining they also consider the rules and regulations before potential areas are put into commercial operations. -- PNA

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Ilocos Norte hiring more medical professionals in public hospitals

By Leilanie Adriano 

LAOAG CITY – The Ilocos Norte provincial govnerment is hiring more medical professionals to boost its expanding public healthcare facilities.
    Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc confirmed this recently saying his administration is improving healthcare services offered in government-run hospitals here.
    “We have kept our promise to hire more medical professionals and across the board, medical and otherwise. We are still aggressively looking to hire. Please spread the word,” said Manotoc, citing that in the past year, the Ilocos Norte government hired 22 doctors, 26 nurses, 14 medical technicians and five radiology technicians.
    Dr. Rogelio Balbag, executive director of the Ilocos Norte Hospital and Management Council, said more doctors and other specialists are needed to ensure the provision of basic and adequate health services to all patients amid the continuing upgrading and expansion of various public health facilities of the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital (GRBASMH) and the acquisition of new computed tomography (CT) scan at the Bangui District Hospital.
    In the 2023 budget, Balbag said the provincial government has allocated a budget to fill vacant positions for doctors and other medical professionals.

The posts remain vacant because some medical professionals prefer to work abroad or have their own clinics.

To entice more healthcare professionals to join government service, Manotoc vowed to increase the salaries of provincial government workers and ensure a fair wage for all.

After opening a new outpatient department building worth PHP10 million, the provincial hospital will have its three-story clinical laboratory soon.

The Department of Health (DOH) provided a budget worth PHP75 million for this project that broke ground last week.

In addition, patients at the GRBASMH needing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner will no longer have to go to other facilities as the provincial hospital has its own machine.

Manotoc said the construction of the dialysis building is also 90 percent completed and shall be up next year.

Other government-run hospitals and medical facilities in the province are upgraded, including the expansion of main buildings, laboratories, emergency rooms and pharmacy departments for the comfort of patients.  -- PNA

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DOLE gives P22-M Tupad aid to 2.5K Abra, Apayao folks

TUPAD PAYOUT. Personnel from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Benguet distribute financial aid to residents in Baguio City on Aug. 18, 2023. The DOLE in Cordillera said they have so far given aid to 2,552 beneficiaries under the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers in the provinces of Abra and Apayao. (PNA photo from DOLE-CAR FB)

By Liza Agoot

BAGUIO CITY – Some 2,651 residents in the provinces of Abra and Apayao affected by Super Typhoon Egay have received P22 million worth of assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOLE-CAR).
    Nathaniel Lacambra, regional director of the DOLE-CAR, said in an interview on Tuesday that the amount came from their contingency fund.
    "We extended assistance to 2,400 families under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced Workers (TUPAD) assistance of the department in Abra, while there were 251 in Apayao aided through the same program,” said Lacambra, saying in Abra alone, 3,300 houses were damaged by Egay.
    “We have exhausted our contingency fund of PHP22 million but we were promised by our central office that they will immediately replenish the fund,” he added.
    Apart from the contingency fund, affected residents can also expect help from other agencies and through other DOLE-assistance programs, said Lacambra.
    He added that they have instructed other local government units in need of assistance to submit a request so that the DOLE-regional office could ask the central office for possible funding.

Aside from Abra and Apayao declaring a state of calamity due to the damage, Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga and Baguio City have also placed their areas under a state of calamity. (PNA)

 

 

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3.9-K jobs set at Baguio City tech-voc job fair

JOIN THE FAIR. Officials from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and partner agencies call on jobseekers to join the “World Café of Opportunity” job fair on August 23, 2023 at the Baguio Convention Center in Baguio City. Some 3,904 local and foreign employment opportunities are expected to be available at the event. (PNA photo by Liza Agoot)

By Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – At least 3,904 local jobs aside from foreign job vacancies will be offered during the “World Café of Opportunity” (WCO) job fair on August 23 at the Baguio Convention Center, officials said on Wednesday.
    In a press briefing, Jimmicio Daoaten, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) assistant regional director and concurrent Abra provincial director, said the event is an opportunity for jobseekers “to promote the importance of technical vocational skills which are needed by the industries.”
    Aside from the TESDA, the jobs fair will be joined by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Public Employment Services Office-Baguio, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Science and Technology, among others.
    “The technical training provided to industries will help our people get employment or be equipped with the capacity to earn a living for them to become useful members of society,” Daoaten said.
    He noted that TESDA’s goal is not just to enroll and train the people, but also to link them for employment through job facilitation.
    The WCO forms part of the Technical Vocational Week celebration that brings together organizations and agencies, pulls together resources, and provides job opportunities for employment or income generation.
    The job fair will focus on work vacancies related to construction, agriculture, tourism, information technology, and business process outsourcing aside from wholesale and retail economic activities.
    “There will be job linking, networking services, guidance and training for employment, and information, education, and communication," Daoaten said.
    PESO-Baguio head Romelda Escaño said 25 local establishments and five overseas agencies have so far committed to join the event
    She said they opted to hold the event at the Baguio Convention Center to allow persons with disabilities to access the venue and participate through an application.
    She advised applicants to wear appropriate clothing, be prepared for interviews and examinations, and have multiple copies of documents.
    “Make sure that the National Certification document is still valid because that is only good for five years from the date of issuance. You have to update it before the job fair,” she said.
High placement
    Escaño said the Bureau of Labor Statistics under the Philippine Statistics Authority has noted that in the past job fairs, the city showed a hiring rate of about 20 percent, which is higher than the 15 percent national average.
    She said this could be due to the status of the city as an educational center and the high passing rate of students in licensure examinations and the performance rating of schools and universities.
    Nathaniel Lacambra, DOLE-Cordillera Administrative Region director, said the agency’s involvement during the job fair will be on employment counseling, distribution of information education materials about the rights of workers, and other available services at their office.
    Legal personnel will also be at the site to give legal advice to those who need it, he added. -- PNA

 

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𝟐𝟖𝟔 Bontoc town 𝐓upad 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

By Alpine Killa-Malwagay

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- A total of 286 Tulong Panghanapbuhay Sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged  (TUPAD) workers received their wages July 5  at the municipal capitol.

    Of the total beneficiaries, 150 received a wage of P6, 000 each equivalent to 15 days of community service.

    This batch of TUPAD workers was funded by the Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the initiative of the Office of Rep. Maximo Dalog, Jr.

    The implementation was through the Bontoc local government as DOLE–accredited partner.

    Meanwhile, the remaining 136 TUPAD workers received their wages of P8, 000 each after working for 20 days.

    The Bontoc LGU through Mayor Jerome "Chagsen" Tudlong, Jr., and  Sangguniang Bayan earlier requested from the  Ejercito Fund additional funds to cater to more individuals looking for work. 

    Tudlongr., extended his gratitude to Dalog and DOLE for their support and commitment to the community’s betterment.

    He added providing short-term employment to displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers was a big help to sustain their basic needs.

    Tudlong said the Bontoc LGU will continue to collaborate with various agencies to source funds for programs that benefit constituents.

    Present during the payout were Sangguniang Bayan members Peter Kedawen and Glenn Bacala, Political Affairs Officer Dionisio Wacdisen who represented Dalog, DOLE-Mountain Province head Venus Guinjicna, and TUPAD focal person Amaranth Abalos of DOLE-MP,

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Bontoc self-employed; folks with low pay aided

By Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Ten individuals were beneficiaries of the Dept. of Labor and Employment Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) or Kabuhayan program.
    Bontoc Mayor Jerome "Chagsen" Tudlong, Jr., Senior Employment Labor Officer Marshall Pachingel of DOLE  provincial office and Employment Officer Jenelyn Caluza of the Bontoc local government led turnover of Kabuhayan kits to recipients on May 22 at the municipal capitol. 
    Among approved livelihood project proposals were food processing, food vending, hog raising, and sari-sari store.
    Tudlong expressed his gratitude to the DOLE for continuously assisting various organizations, self-employed, seasonal workers, and minimum wage earners in Bontoc and capacitating them to generate income. 
    The mayor urged recipients to manage their livelihood projects wisely for these to prosper.
    He added failure and success of their livelihood projects depended on how they will manage it.
    He advised them to capacitate themselves through trainings for these to be sustained. 
    He said the Bontoc LGU will strengthen its collaboration and linkages to partner agencies for more livelihood opportunities. 
    Caluza said as counterpart, the Bontoc LGU shall conduct monitoring of implementation of the project. Also, it provided technical assistance during the preparation of the project proposals. 

Meanwhile, the Bontoc LGU is processing project proposals of fire victims of the April 11 fire incident here to avail of the Kabuhayan Program. 

The Kabuhayan Program is a grant assistance for capacity-building on livelihood to enable the unemployed, seasonal, and minimum wage earners to start livelihood undertakings or income-generating projects (IGPs) and enable existing IGPs to grow into viable and sustainable businesses that provide income.

It is implemented through DOLE’s Accredited Co-Partner (ACP) which is responsible for the delivery of services to the beneficiaries.

Bontoc LGU, as an ACP of DOLE received the financial grant allotted for recipients and shall be responsible for procurement and delivery of equipment, materials, products, tools, and other needs of the beneficiaries for their respective livelihood projects.

 

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Work scheme set for marginalized Bontoc town folk

By Shannon Althea S. Pagaduan

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Marginalized folks here have now something forward to look up to help in their finances.
    The Bontoc local government in collaboration with the Dept. of Labor and Employment and Office of Congressman under Rep. Maximo Dalog, Jr., oriented 186 beneficiaries of DOLE's "Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD)" program at the Municipal Capitol here Wednesday, May 24.
    Dalog in his message delivered by congressional staff Job Lemuel Kumalao, said the TUPAD program catering to vulnerable and marginalized sectors is one of the government’s commitments in uplifting lives of the people. 
    Dalog assured the continuous partnership of his office with the DOLE and the Bontoc LGU in bringing services of the government to the community. 
    In response, municipal administrator Arthur Leonard Odsey who represented Mayor Jerome "Chagsen '' Tudlong, Jr.,  expressed gratitude to the Office of the Congressman and DOLE  for their commitment to the community's betterment. 
    Providing short-term employment to displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers is of big help to sustain their basic needs, especially to the victims of the fire which happened last April 11, he added.
    According to Labor Employment Officer Jenelyn Caluza, the program is now financed by Rep. Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos through the initiative of the Office of Rep. Dalog, as well as the Ejercito Fund through the Bontoc local government unit.

    The 150 beneficiaries under the Office of Congressman were given 15 days to work which commenced on May 25 and will receive a fixed income of P6,000 each. 

    Meanwhile, the LGU's 136 recipients will be deployed in their respective barangays for 20 days at a wage of P8, 000 per person under supervision of barangay officials.

    They will work on environmental projects such as repair, maintenance, and/or upgrading of common public amenities and infrastructures, debris clearing, canal de-clogging, debris segregation and materials recovery, stockpiling, and clearing and community projects such as repair, maintenance, and/or restoration of farm-to-market roads, bridges, and public markets.

    Also, they may work under the community agroforestry operations such as tree planting, seedling preparation, and replanting.

 

 

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DOLE, SSS up compliance of employers on payments

by Freddie Lazaro

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Social Security System (SSS) in Region 1 (Ilocos) met Jan. 20, to boost compliance of employers on social benefits.
    Speaking on behalf of DOLE Region 1 Director Exequiel Ronie A. Guzman, mediator-arbiter Atty. Amado Gasmin said the consultative meeting also aims to pave the way for a more fruitful collaboration between the two agencies for 2023.
    SSS La Union branch head Francisco Pentecostes and Atty. Kyra Erika Grace Gallano presented key SSS programs and benefits.
    The two SSS officials also provided insightful clarifications to DOLE Region 1 labor inspectors on the guidelines and policies surrounding the implementation of SSS benefits.
“    As the DOLE inspectors go in the ground to ensure that these general labor standards are observed, their interpretation of these social benefits should be aligned,” Gasmin said.
    “The DOLE is geared towards a recalibrated labor inspection this year, thus, we recognize the importance of stronger convergence with SSS to ensure full compliance of employers.”
Inspection results last year showed that about 2.7 percent of establishments inspected in Region 1 failed to remit the SSS payments of their workers.
    “The DOLE has no jurisdiction to enforce this particular social benefit, hence, we touch base with SSS to apprise them with this concern,” Gasmin said.
    To address this, DOLE and SSS will form a technical working group that shall visit establishments that fail to comply with this social coverage.
    “This 2023, the DOLE and SSS shall work closely hand-in-hand to ensure that all workers get to enjoy these coverages they so rightfully work hard for,” Gasmin added.
 
 

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Final tranche of salary hikes for gov’t workers takes effect January

By Zacarian Sarao

MANILA — The last tranche of the mandated salary hikes for government workers shall take effect in January, said the Dept. of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday.
    The fourth and final tranche is the last phase of the pay increase mandated by Republic Act (RA) 11466 or the “Salary Standardization Law of 2019,” series of 2020.
    “Government employees can look forward to receiving higher pay as the fourth and last tranche of mandated salary hikes takes effect on 01 January 2023,” said DBM in a statement.
    According to DBM, RA 11466 covers all positions for civilian personnel, whether regular, casual, or contractual in nature, appointive or elective, full-time or part-time, now existing or created in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; constitutional commissions and other constitutional offices; state universities and colleges (SUCs); and government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) not covered by RA 10149.
    It also applies to all positions for salaried LGU personnel, whether regular, contractual or casual in nature, elective or appointive; on full-time or part-time basis, now existing or created in local government units (LGUs), and all positions for barangay personnel which are paid monthly honoraria.
    Meanwhile, those engaged without employer-employee relationship and funded from non-Personnel Services (PS) appropriations/budgets are excluded from the coverage of the Circular.
    Military and uniformed personnel, GOCCs under RA 10149, and individuals whose services are engaged through job orders, contracts of service, consultancy or service contracts with no employer-employee relationship are also excluded from RA 11466.
    The DBM said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has already signed two separate Budget Circulars regarding the fourth tranche of Salary Schedule for civilian personnel and LGU workers.
    Meanwhile, under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), around P48 million was allocated under the Governance Commission for GOCCs’ (GCG) budget to support the conduct of a study on the government compensation structure of the different national government agencies and GOCCs.
    “Apart from the conduct of the study, the DBM is also undertaking a review of the rates of the existing benefits being provided to qualified government employees to assess if these may need adjustment in the future,” Pangandaman said.

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Job scams

EDITORIAL

With 2.68 million employable Filipinos out of work since August – 5.3 percent of the nation’s workforce – and another 7.03 million underemployed or 14.7 percent, the country clearly needs to generate more jobs.
And not just the seasonal work in the agriculture sector, or contractual jobs in construction, but sustained employment with decent pay.
    The lack of such jobs makes Filipinos vulnerable to illegal recruiters and human traffickers, even in conflict zones and other high-risk areas. Financial difficulties arising from the pandemic have increased the vulnerability of the needy to job scams.
    The traffickers have also gone high-tech, facilitating recruitment while making it harder for authorities to track them down and freeze dirty money.
    Recently, 12 overseas Filipinos workers managed to flee from a cryptocurrency investment scam operation at the Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone or Yatai New City in Myanmar’s border with Thailand. Sen. Risa Hontiveros said more than 30 other trafficked OFWs could be trapped in such operations. In a privilege speech last week, she said Filipinos were being lured through Facebook to jobs in Thailand ostensibly as data encoders and call center customer service representatives.
    A Chinese mafia has reportedly turned Shwe Kokko in Myanmar into a new online gaming hub following the shutdown of such operations in Cambodia. The mafia runs the human trafficking operation that forced the rescued OFWs to flirt online and dupe the victims into investing in cryptocurrency sites. Hontiveros said she received reports that the OFWs were forced to work at least 12 hours a day, and given a quota of victims. If the quota was not met, she said the OFWs were hit with electric rods, forced to carry gallons of water or do up to 1,000 push-ups.
    Apart from exerting more effort to generate decent jobs in the Philippines, authorities must intensify the housecleaning in the Bureau of Immigration, which has been rocked by corruption scandals linked to casinos and Philippine offshore gaming operator or POGO firms in the past. Despite dubious work documents, the OFWs allegedly paid up to P20,000 to immigration personnel to be able to leave the Philippines for Myanmar.
    Studies have shown that Chinese gangsters have been duping people from Southeast Asia, India and even Africa to work under captive, slave-type conditions and engage in digital and cryptocurrency scams in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. The workers reportedly use Facebook, LinkedIn and Tinder to find victims. Beyond warning the people about such job scams, the government must do more to create meaningful jobs, so that Filipinos need not leave their families and their country to seek employment in Myanmar.
 

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Year-end job fair in Ilocos Norte offers 6K vacancies

By Leilanie Adriano 

LAOAG CITY – Around 6,000 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers will be made available on Saturday (Nov. 12) at the Robinsons Place Ilocos here.
    Organized by the Ilocos Norte government through the Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO), the year-end job fair aims to provide more opportunities for Ilocanos who wish to find local employment in the province.

Provincial manager Anne Marie Lizette Bitancor-Atuan of the PESO Ilocos Norte said many residents working in the city are taking advantage of the government’s "Balik Probinsiya” program to look for employment in the province.
    “There are 35 local companies who confirmed their participation in the event,” she said, adding that two overseas companies will also be joining but have yet to submit their vacancies.
    In preparation for the holidays, some local employers have signified their intent to hire on the spot.
    Meanwhile, various local government units including other national government agencies will also be joining the activity to fill up their vacant positions as well as provide a one-stop-shop to those who may be needing their services.
    The year-end job fair is an annual undertaking of the province in support of the provincial government’s continuing implementation of the “Task Force Trabaho” program to create more jobs for locals.
    For its bedrock employment programs, at least PHP5 million has been allocated for the hiring of nurses in the province, and over PHP1.2 million has been released for its livelihood program.
    Latest records show that Ilocos Norte’s employment rate remains high at 92.5 percent through the provincial government's interventions and programs that ensure all residents remain safe and can provide for their families in the midst of calamities and crises. -- PNA
 
 

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Education USA Fair highlights opportunities to study in US

Over 2,500 prospective students, parents, and teachers explored opportunities to study in the United States at the 6th Education USA Philippines Fair organized by the U.S. Embassy and the Philippine-American Education Foundation on October 8 at the Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City. 
    “After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we are thrilled to welcome everyone back to the Education USA Fair in person,” U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Heather Variava said at the event’s opening ceremony.  “The exchange of students, researchers, scholars, and educators, along with broader international education efforts between the United States and other countries, strengthens relationships between current and future leaders.  These relationships are necessary to address shared challenges and contribute to global peace and security.” 
    Education USA Advisors and representatives from 32 U.S. universities and colleges offered information on academic programs, admission procedures, scholarship and financial aid options, and student visa applications.  The Education USA Fair is held annually and is free and open to the public. 
    “I know firsthand that selecting and applying for admission to U.S. universities can be a daunting process.  I recently went through this process with my own son, who is a high school student,” Deputy Chief of Mission Variava added.  “The U.S. Embassy’s Education USA Advising team is available to help you navigate the process with free, unbiased information on U.S. higher education.” 
    Education USA also hosted a networking lunch that enabled officials from Filipino universities and high schools to meet visiting U.S. university representatives and discuss the study interests of Filipino students, scholarship opportunities, U.S. school offerings, and potential institutional partnerships.  
    American university representatives recognized the high quality of students in the Philippines and noted that Filipino youth seem more prepared than ever to pursue educational opportunities.  “Prospective students can position themselves well in the U.S. college and university application process due to the excellent preparation they receive in Filipino high schools and universities,” said David Danenberg, Associate Director for Admissions and Financial Aid at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.  “We are excited to welcome more students from the Philippines.” 
    “Education USA opens doors to tremendous opportunities,” student Jose Miguel Villegas said.  “The EducationUSA Fair featured enthusiastic representatives from U.S. colleges and universities and an overwhelming number of programs that cater to every student’s interests.”
    Education USA is the U.S. government’s official resource for students interested in higher education in the United States.  It provides free advising services to prospective international students in more than 170 countries and offers students resources and tools to help navigate the five steps to U.S. study: researching schools, financing, completing the application, obtaining a student visa, and preparing for departure. 
    An Education USA adviser can help students narrow their options, define their priorities, and plan their college careers.  While Education USA does not offer scholarships, it can assist students in identifying scholarship and financial assistance opportunities.  Learn more about Education USA at www.facebook.com/educationusa.philippines. 
    U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer is John Groch, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission is Heather Variava while Regional Educational Advising Coordinator is Luke Kim.  

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Bontoc, DOLE hire studes, no-school youth

By Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Bontoc local government in partnership with the Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has employed students and out-of-school youth to work this vacation through the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).
    Qualified were 15-30 years old, willing to continue their education,   accomplished qualifications and documentary requirements and belonged to a family whose annual income did not exceed poverty threshold of the Cordillera Administrative Region with a family of six.
    According to Labor and Employment Officer II Gladys Sawi of the Bontoc LGU, 84 SPES beneficiaries were deployed in the 16 barangays of Bontoc for house profiling necessary for collecting information at barangays for the use of Bontoc LGU, national government agencies, nongovernment organizations and civil society for planning, program implementation and monitoring.
    SPES workers will complete 20 official working days which started July 18, 2022, and will end on August 12.
    They are to be paid P464.95 per day. The wage of the SPES workers will come from the 60% counterpart of the Bontoc LGU and 40% from DOLE.
    The Public Employment and Service Office conducted an orientation on July 18, to brief SPES workers on their duties and documentary requirements which they have to submit upon completion of work.
    Like in the previous years, Sawi said seven persons with disabilities (PWDs) were included as SPES workers.
    Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., assured continuity of the program, saying it does not only provide income to financially constrained students but develops their intellectual and practical capacities through exposure and actual job experience.
    The program was in line with the present administration’s roadmap for the next three years – “Enlangagkha: Achieving the vision for a dynamic Bontoc.” Englangakha is an old Bontok term meaning to shine brightly. One of its pillars is empower communities which includes promoting health and nutrition, local culture, arts, strengthening support for education and youth development and maintaining peace and order.
    The SPES, a yearly job generation program of the government, is intended to help poor but deserving students to pursue their studies by providing them employment during vacations to augment their tuition for the coming school year.
    It aims to develop intellectual capacities of children and harness their potential for the country’s well-being.
 

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Ilocos offers 16,000 jobs in Independence Day rites

Job seekers attend a job fair in the Ilocos region on June 12 during the celebration of the country’s Independence Day. (Photo courtesy of Department of Labor and Employment-Ilocos)

By John Michael Mugas 

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Simultaneous job fairs marked the Independence Day celebration in Ilocos region with at least 16,000 vacancies offered to job seekers, according to the regional Dept. of Labor and Employment on June 12.
    The vacancies consisted of jobs being offered by government agencies, as well as local and overseas establishments, according to DOLE regional director and lawyer Evelyn Ramos.
    These include jobs in customer service, sales, retail, and construction.
    Ramos said her office was thankful for successfully hosting a physical job fair during this year’s Independence Day, the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
    Job seekers were not required to be vaccinated against Covid-19. However, the regional DOLE had encouraged them to get jabbed against the virus.
    The job fairs in the regions were held in Candon Civic Center in Candon City, Ilocos Sur; CSI mall in the San Fernando City, La Union; Nepo mall in Dagupan City, Pangasinan; and Don Leopoldo Sison Convention Center in Alaminos City, Pangasinan.
    Reading the message from Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, Ramos thanked the country’s workforce for showing “diligence and resilience during this most challenging time.”
    “And we cannot overemphasize how these have immensely helped us sustain our economy and regain momentum. Indeed, you are our country’s modern-day heroes,” the message read.
 

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DOLE: CAR unemployment down; sectors back on track

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. Nathaniel Lacambra, Department of Labor (DOLE)-Cordillera Administrative Region director, says the region's unemployment rate went down from 45 percent in 2020 to 5.4 percent in 2021. In a press conference on Wednesday (May 4, 2022) at the regional office in Baguio City, he said "employment (in Cordillera) is very rosy and improving little by little." (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)

By Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – The Dept. of Labor and Employment Cordillera said the region's employment is greatly improving with almost all sectors back on track.
    In a press conference last week, Nathaniel Lacambra, regional director of the DOLE-Cordillera, said unemployment rate in the region went down to 5.4 percent in 2021 from 45 percent in 2020, the year the global pandemic started.
    "Little by little, our employment status has improved. It is almost close to normal except for a few who have not resumed operation like the night establishments," he said.
    He added that while some establishments end the day's operation earlier than they used to before the pandemic, "marami na ang nakabalik sa trabaho (many have gone back to work). But because of the shorter operating hours, they need fewer workers."
    He added that placing Baguio City under Alert Level 1 is reaping benefits not only for the government but also for individual workers.
    The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-Cordillera during the regional economic performance report last week reported that the region's economic performance improved, posting a gross regional domestic product of 7.5 percent in 2021.
    The industry sector posted the fastest growth at 16.3 percent and services logged a 65.5 percent share in the increase.
    Lacambra said 34 employers joined the regional jobs and livelihood fair in Baguio City last May 1 to offer over 10,432 vacancies for local and foreign job placements.
    He said 1,574 applicants registered during the activity.
    Twenty-two were hired on the spot and 762 nearly got hired and were required to undergo further screening.
    Marvie Fulgencio, Board Secretary of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), said 1.25 million people aged 15 and above are of employable age, 63.8 percent of which or 798,777 are already working. – PNA
 

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Baguio program sought for young city workers

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- Rep. Marquez Go was urged to facilitate implementation of the government internship program (GIP) in the city.
    Councilor Joel Alangsab, in a resolution, said the GIP is a component of Kabataan 2000 Project under executive order 139, s-1993 which aimed at providing opportunities for young workers to serve the general public through projects and services of government agencies and offices at both local and national levels.
    Regional offices of the Dept. of Labor and Employment facilitate and supervise implementation of the GIP and determine distribution of interns in government agencies.
    The Dept. of Labor and Employment- Cordillera Administrative Region, through the office of Benguet Caretaker Eric Yap, was able to provide temporary jobs to fresh graduates in La Trinidad, Benguet in 2021 under the GIP. 
    Alangsab said the GIP improved the beneficiaries’ skills and attitude and equipped them firsthand by engaging them in a real work environment in a government setting which helped them become employable while receiving corresponding compensations in accordance with the prevailing minimum wage in the region.
    He said services imparted by the GIP beneficiaries generate efficiency on government transactions and processes, thus increasing the organizational productivity and improving overall work performance of the city government.
    The councilor said Baguio City has a high number of fresh graduates and indigent young workers who may benefit from the GIP. 
    He said the City Government of Baguio had been an active partner of DOLE-CAR in implementing significant programs in the city.

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Gov’t internship program for Baguio young workers sought

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- Rep. Marquez Go was urged to facilitate implementation of the Government Internship Program (GIP) in the city.
    Councilor Joel Alangsab, in a resolution, said the GIP is a component of Kabataan 2000 Project under executive order 139, s-1993 which aimed at providing opportunities for young workers to serve the general public through projects and services of government agencies and offices at both local and national levels.
    Regional offices of the Dept. of Labor and Employment facilitate and supervise implementation of the GIP and determine distribution of interns in government agencies.
    The Dept. of Labor and Employment- Cordillera Administrative Region, through the office of Benguet Caretaker Eric Yap, was able to provide temporary jobs to fresh graduates in La Trinidad, Benguet in 2021 under the GIP. 
    Alangsab said the GIP improved the beneficiaries’ skills and attitude and equipped them firsthand by engaging them in a real work environment in a government setting which helped them become employable while receiving corresponding compensations in accordance with the prevailing minimum wage in the region.
    He said services imparted by the GIP beneficiaries generate efficiency on government transactions and processes, thus increasing the organizational productivity and improving overall work performance of the city government.
    The councilor said Baguio City has a high number of fresh graduates and indigent young workers who may benefit from the GIP. 
    He said the City Government of Baguio had been an active partner of DOLE-CAR in implementing significant programs in the city.
 
 

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Mt Province to hire 731 studes for summer jobs

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- --  A total of 731 students will be employed by 10 municipal local government units of this province including the provincial government in partnership with the Dept. of Labor and Employment under its special program for employment of students (SPES).
    This, following DOLE’s meeting with LGUs for their respective SPES commitments.
    Mt Province DOLE chief labor and employment officer Apollo Luspian said student beneficiaries are entitled to wages dependent on class of the employing LGU with wages to be shared by the LGU and the DOLE.
    The combined LGUs share of this province at P3.4 million and DOLE’s P2.9 million is programmed with each student beneficiary employed in respective LGUs for 20 working days with wages based on Dept. of Budget and Management (DBM) rate.  
    The 2nd class municipality of Bontoc with 62 student beneficiaries has 60% share in wages and the DOLE with 40 percent.
    Each student is entitled to P464.95 per day with 40% share from DOLE.
    Fourth class towns Bauko with 80 students, Natonin with 50 students, and Tadian with 67 beneficiaries source their daily wage at P410.27 per day from their respective LGUs at 50% of the amount and 50% from DOLE.
    Fifth class municipalities share 40%  or P382.91 wage per day namely Barlig with 100 students, Sabangan with 50, Besao with 20 students, Sadangan with 15 and Sagada with 10 student beneficiaries. DOLE provides 60% of the students’ wages.
    The provincial LGU with a 4th class category has 222 student beneficiaries each receiving P464.95 per daily wage with  the LGU providing 60% of the wage and DOLE at 40%.   
    The DOLE’s SPES program aims to “provide temporary employment to poor but deserving students, out-of-school youth, and dependents of displaced or would-be displaced workers during summer and/or Christmas vacation or any time of the year to augment the family’s income to help ensure that beneficiaries are able to pursue their education.”
    Beneficiaries are students or out-of-school youth (OSY) who should be at least 15 but not more than 30 years of age.
    The combined net income after tax of parents, including his/her own, if any, does not exceed the annual poverty threshold of  P149, 244.
    Students must have obtained a passing general weighted average (GWA) and the OSY must be certified by the local Social Welfare and Development Office (SWDO) as OSY.
 
 

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