BUTUAN CITY -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Caraga shared its genesis as an agency and how it raised the bar in the fulfillment of its core mandate on labor and employment during the recent Kapihan with PIA Caraga.

The big journey

A century ago, this agency started as a bureau and it did not fail the Filipino people in the delivery of its core and sustained its relevance. That is why on December 7, 1933, through the passage of Republic Act No. 4121 by the Philippine legislature, the Department of Labor and Employment was born.

It was timely to reinforce and build up the labor and employment sector of the country at that time since almost every nation in the world was not spared by the severe unemployment rate as high as 33%, acute deflation, and drastic decline in productivity output brought by the Great Depression. 

Year by year, parallel to the continuous increase of the Filipino population, unemployment undeniably persisted.

The dilemma was addressed by a strategic mindset as the Department identified and empowered from within, the highly significant divisions to build a one strong DOLE family in order to sustain the best practices, and most importantly to take care of the most vulnerable sectors of the society.

Hence, the creation of the ten attached agencies of DOLE namely, National Wages and Productivity Board (NWPB), National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Employees Compensation Commission (ECC), Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA), Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRC), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA),  Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Institute for Labor Studies (ILS). 

The transformation of the Department did not stop, as it responded effectively to the current transition of OWWA and POEA to the Department of Migrant Workers, mandated to crucially address the lives of the overseas Filipino workers and the offers on international jobs.

More jobs, more HOTS

The executive directorates of "One DOLE Caraga" set their foot on the Kapihan with PIA Caraga, as a guaranteed avenue for communication and information dissemination of the government’s programs and projects to the citizens.

Atty. Joffrey Suyao, regional director of DOLE Caraga shared that the agency engagement does not only happen every May 1 during the annual Labor Day observance. Unlike before, the job fair in the region happens more often, regardless of season. 

“The Labor Day Job Fair was a success that offered 3,566 job vacancies from 62 employers resulting in 1,011 applications. In fact, 244 were hired on-the-spot or we call it HOTS. Because of time constraints, we monitored the other applications starting May 2 and additional 109 were also hired as new employees and workers. Thus, we were motivated to do and offer more to the job seekers with the results of the May 1 Job Fair," said Suyao. 

He mentioned that with the good outcome, they conducted another activity dubbed "Kalayaan Job Fair" last June 12, as part of the 125th Independence Day. 

A month after, the department conducted an additional job fair,  with 831 local job vacancies and 434 overseas job opportunities, in time for the first-ever visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Caraga Region. A number of Caraganons flocked to the venue to be the next HOTS.

Jobs to the countryside

The search for Best Public Employment Service Office (PESO) paves for job generation to the grassroots. Thus, for each local government unit to qualify as contender of this accolade, it has to ensure that its respective PESO complies the criteria on the conduct of career guidance and employment coaching which benefit the students and other job seeking clientele.

For this year, Caraga Region, with proper guidance and supervision of the labor officers in the LGUs, has six entries vying at the national level for the Search for Best PESO 2022 namely, provinces of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands on the provincial category; Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte as component city; Claver of Surigao del Norte as second-class municipality; Barobo of Surigao del Sur as third to fourth-class municipality. 

Earl Dela Victoria, board secretary of the RTWPB Caraga, who also served as the chairperson of the board of regional judges, said “We are doing the deliberation of the entries for national category so we can understand our strength, what are the areas that we need to work on and focus the most," he said.

The panel hopes that more and more PESOs will join the healthy competition in the coming years as this recognizes the significant contribution and outstanding accomplishments of the PESOs in the deployment of DOLE- initiated employment facilitation programs.

Inclusive approach 

DOLE has magnified its essential function for the welfare and safety through its inclusive approach on job generation: For Filipinos, from the informal sector who are disadvantaged and displaced to the  Kasambahay, child laborers, youth, and others.

Atty. Suyao emphasized that DOLE is mandated to eliminate child laborers, in partnership with other agencies of the government like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Health, for a stronger program implementation. 

The city of Tandag for one looked into the lives of some 100 child laborers including the 25 Badjao children, who are either fourteen years old and below and are already working, or those who are less than eighteen years old while on hazardous jobs. Its  provincial office in Surigao del Sur gave particular attention to these child laborers by giving them school supplies, hygiene kits, family and food packs. 

To save them from this malpractice, their parents underwent series of discussions on Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), and the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).  

Moreover, their parents were enrolled in the TUPAD program as beneficiaries so these children will no longer be at risk. 

Toto, one of the child laborers, expressed his gratitude when asked by DOLE Surigao del Sur saying, “Salamat kadayaw sa iyo tabang. Dili na ako gusto na ma apil sa child labor, gusto ko mahimo na sundalo. Salamat kadayaw sa tanan niyo pagahimo para sa ako ug sa ako pamilya, salamat sab sa grocery na iyo gihatag, pinaagi nan ini ma solbad na an amo kada adlaw na kinahanglanon. (Thank you for all your help. I don’t want to be involved in  child labor, I want to finish my studies and be a soldier. I thank you for all your efforts in helping me and my family. Thank you also for the grocery items that you gave us, through these, we will be able to meet our daily needs).”

From its average unemployment rate of  more than 8%, the country has performed so well this year as it decreased to 4% as of April 2023. 

As DOLE sustains its momentum of achieving at least 15% HOTS  in every job fair in Caraga Region, the country keeps the unemployment rate at record low. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)