Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the 26th National Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Congress and Launching of the TUPAD Flagship Innovations

Maraming, maraming salamat sa ating Kalihim ng DOLE, Secretary Francis Tolentino [Please be seated]; Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Philip Lo; our good friend and the partner, Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro; Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia Chan; the PESOMAP Incorporated National President Romualdo Garcia and other officers of the PESOMAP Inc.; DOLE officials, employers, industry partners and employment stakeholders; fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen.

A good day to you all! [applause]

We are gathered here today for the 26th National Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Congress, united by a responsibility to bring a decent employment opportunities closer to each Filipino worker.

For millions of Filipinos, employment is the means to provide for families, to put skills and education to good use, and to create a more secure future for ourselves. Our duty as a government is to ensure that they have the opportunities to pursue these goals.

This gives meaning to our theme: “Kaunlaran sa bawat Komunidad, Oportunidad sa bawat Mamamayan.”

Yet significant challenges continue to stand in the way. Limited access to job information, employment services and livelihood opportunities remain a barrier to securing decent work. Skills mismatch continues to prevent workers from finding jobs suited to their capabilities, further resulting in unemployment and underemployment.

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.

The 26th National PESO Congress further reaffirms that shared commitment. It provides an opportunity to introduce innovative approaches that address the different circumstances of all Filipino workers.

Among the highlights of this Congress is the launch of the TUPAD Flagship Innovations, each one designed to make temporary employment more responsive and to create pathways towards more sustainable livelihood.

Through the Trabahong-Dagat, we are integrating temporary employment with TESDA skills training and certification, among other interventions, to support coastal and fishing communities. We are holding a Maritime Local and Overseas Job Fair today in Island Central Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, that offers more than 1,300 vacancies, including 275 in the maritime sector.

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.

All these efforts underscore the importance of helping workers develop their skills, gain experience, and build secure livelihoods.

We likewise recognize the local governments that have demonstrated sustained excellence in employment facilitation through the PESO Hall of Fame Award.

To the five PESOs that have won the National Search for Best PESO for three consecutive years: Congratulations! [applause] Your achievement reflects your commitment to connecting jobseekers with employers and to bringing government services closer to the people.

For our part, the national government continues to implement programs that translate policy into tangible results.

Through the Special Program for Employment of Students, exactly 111,509 students and out-of-school youth have received short-term employment in the first half of 2026.

During the same period, nearly 20,000 interns gained valuable experience in public service through the Government Internship Program.

We have also continued to strengthen employment facilitation and social protection. From January to August 2026, we conducted over 1,500 job fairs – 1,554 to be exact – job fairs with over 65,534 individuals hired-on-the-spot.

Under the PESO program, more than 91 percent of qualified jobseekers were successfully placed.

Since the start of this Administration, the TUPAD program has provided emergency employment assistance to over 14 million beneficiaries as of August 2026.

These figures represent Filipinos gaining work experience, finding employment, and receiving assistance when they need it the most.

Today also marks the effectivity of the wage increases in Central Visayas: an additional 42 pesos in the daily minimum wage of covered private-sector workers [applause] and 500 pesos in the monthly minimum wage of kasambahays. These increases aim to improve workers’ earnings and help them provide for their families.

But our work is far from finished. We must continue working together, directing resources where they are needed the most, and remaining accountable for the results.

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. Kasabay nito, patuloy ninyong palakasin ang inyong mga kakayahan, pagyamanin ang inyong karanasan, at samantalahin ang bawat pagkakataong matuto at mag-unlad.

Together, let us build a Bagong Pilipinas where every Filipino has a fair chance to obtain quality and decent work.

Maraming salamat po. Mabuhay po kayong lahat! [applause]

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas!

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