By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

“Our duty as a government is to ensure that they have the opportunities to pursue these goals.”

Reaffirming his support for workers in the domestic labor market, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. engaged with PESO representatives, local government officials, and employment stakeholders nationwide during the 2026 National Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Congress at Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Wednesday.

In his speech, the President called for better alignment between skills training and employment opportunities, especially as skills mismatch continues to result in unemployment and underemployment in the workforce.

Moreover, he highlighted limited access to job information, employment services, and livelihood opportunities as a significant barrier to attaining employment.

“To address these challenges, the Administration has directed the DepEd, the DOLE, DTI, CHED, and TESDA to align their training programs with labor market needs. We continue to promote skills development responsive to local and international business and industries and strengthen the link between training and employment.”

President Marcos Jr., moreover, welcomed the launch of the TUPAD Flagship Innovations, which aims to make temporary employment a stepping stone for a more sustainable livelihood.

Through the Trabahong-Dagat initiative, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aims to integrate temporary employment with the agency’s skills training and certification to better support coastal and fishing communities.

The President expounded, “In parallel, SkillPass establishes an integrated work-to-skills-to-certification pathway. Complementing these is Sagip-Trabaho, which provides distressed workers from micro, small, and medium enterprises with temporary wage support and worker-protection assistance.”

Interventions

At this juncture, President Marcos Jr. went on to share various government programs geared towards uplifting the labor sector:

• Special Program for Employment of Students
• Government Internship Program
• Implementation of 1,554 job fairs from January to August 2026
• Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD)
• PESO Program

Adding to the list is the President’s announcement of wage increases in Central Visayas effective Oct. 14, amounting to P42 in the daily minimum wage of covered private-sector workers and P500 in the monthly minimum wage of household workers (kasambahays).

While he acknowledged that these initiatives translated into positive progress and meaningful figures showing the health of the workforce, President Marcos Jr. said that more work still needs to be done to ensure that Filipino workers receive rightful wages.

“To our agencies, partners, and stakeholders: Let us continue building stronger safety nets and creating pathways to lasting economic opportunity, particularly for our workers with the most disadvantages.

Sa ating mga kababayang naghahanap ng trabaho: Batid ko ang mga hamon sa inyo sa gitna ng pabago-bago ng ating ekonomiya—na pinapalala pa ng tensyon sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo. Makakaasa kayo na patuloy nating palalawakin ang mga oportunidad upang magkaroon kayo ng maayos na hanapbuhay.”

During the event, the Chief Executive also presented the Hall of Fame Awards to five PESO Offices recognized in the 2025 National Search for Best PESO, in honor of their contributions to providing employment opportunities in their respective locales.

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