BUTUAN CITY -- The recently issued memorandum of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Memorandum Circular No. 042 series of 2021, requires the institutionalization of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) as one of the criteria for the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG). 

The initiative rooted from the recommendation of DOLE to have LGUs institutionalized their PESOs to qualify for the SGLG. DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, on his statement on June 13, 2021, stressed out that this development is a milestone of DOLE’s advocacy to capacitate and strengthen PESOs to become more efficient thru its institutionalization.

DOLE Caraga is pleased and thankful of this development. As noted by DOLE Caraga Regional Director Chona M. Mantilla, the initiative of DILG is good news especially in the efforts of the department to encourage the LGUs to institutionalize their respective PESO. The SGLG will be a significant motivator for PESO institutionalization.

Highlighting the drive of DOLE Caraga for a strengthened employment facilitation in the region, the DOLE provincial offices continuously conduct advocacies to the LGUs and capacity buildings to PESOs in relation to its institutionalization. To date, 7 PESOS are fully institutionalized out of 87 PESOs in the region. These are PESOs in the provincial governments of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands, municipalities of Sibagat and San Francisco in Agusan del Sur, municipality of Del Carmen in Surigao del Norte, and the municipality of Barobo, Surigao del Sur. Further, 15 PESOs are already partially institutionalized.

The SGLG recognizes the good performance of the local government units. The 10 governance areas assessed in the LGUs under RA 11292 or the Seal of Good Local Governance Act of 2021 included financial sustainability, social protection, disaster preparedness, health compliance and responsiveness, sustainable education, peace and order, tourism and culture development, youth development, environment management, and business competitiveness. The new criterion of PESO institutionalization is expected to take effect this year. (DOLE-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)