To empower more young entrants as they enter the world of work, and to bring the national agenda of inclusive growth through employment-led and labor market information strategies down to the grassroots level, the Department of Labor & Employment, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the Canadian International Development Agency, and the local government unit of Dumaguete City, through its Public Employment Service Office (PESO), launched its JobStart Program in Dumaguete during the Employers’ Forum and Pledging held Nov. 5.
Labor and Employment Sec. Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, the keynote speaker during the event, said the project aims to increase the employability of the youth by providing them access to life technical skills training demanded by employers, and by mentoring and tooling them to improve their job searches and outcomes.
The project will also finance vouchers that will enable selected youth-beneficiaries to gain work experience in companies through on-the-job training.
My impression is that the Jobstart Program is another step closer to achieving our overarching goal of addressing the twin issues of unemployment and poverty, the two major challenges facing our country.
These two are inter-connected. Unemployed people are most likely to be living in poverty, and the least likely to get jobs.
I know that the people of Dumaguete City possess the talents, capability and capacity to respond to the skills requirement of the business community and other employers.
We have equally-good quality graduates from our colleges and universities here in Dumaguete, even from our own “little TESDA,” the City Livelihood & Home Industries Development Office (CLHIDO).
CLHIDO produces an average of 266 graduates every three months in technical courses such as refrigeration and air conditioning, massage theraphy, PC operation, hardware servicing, plumbing, consumer electronics, electrical installation and maintenance, automotive servicing, dressmaking and tailoring, beauty care and hairdressing.
But the big question is why, after their graduation, do only 9.6 percent actually get employment?
Skills mismatch and lack of employment opportunities must be the main reasons for this problem.
Last No. 9, I led the Dumaguete City Smoke-Free Council in submitting ourselves to the last series of evaluations conducted by a team of national evaluators, composed mainly of representatives from the Department of Health and the Department of Interior & Local Government.
Dumaguete City’s smoke-free program is a national nominee for the Red Orchid Award.
The Red Orchid Award is the highest honor given by the DOH under its search for 100 percent tobacco-free LGUs.
Last year, the DOH has conferred the prestigious Orchid Award to Dumaguete City, in recognition of its successful anti-smoking initiatives.
Hopefully, the City can make it again this year.
Together with Dumaguete Chief of Police PSupt Jovito Atanacio during the Nov. 9 flag raising ceremony at the City PNP Station, I handed over the different Certificates of Commendation, on behalf of City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, to some policemen for their dedication and tireless contributions to peace and order, tourism, and environmental programs in the City of Dumaguete despite the high risk and hazards associated with law enforcement.
Their efforts are greatly appreciated. Congratulations to all the awardees, and to Superintendent Atanacio for providing the inspiration and the excellent leadership that keep his men and women moving.
In behalf of the City Government of Dumaguete, we salute you for a job well done.
I had the opportunity of sharing the Septage Management System of Dumaguete City in a roundtable discussion with Bacnotan Mayor Francis Fontanilla.
Bacnotan is a first class municipality in La Union.
With Mayor Fontanilla were 11 other local officials of their Sangguniang Bayan, and municipal department heads during their lakbay-aral held Nov. 5.
By Nov. 9, another batch of LGU visitors came to Dumaguete: six provincial officials of the province of Saranggani led by Provincial Legal Officer Chalmer Gevieso. They were here, interested to learn from us our best practices in environmental governance.
Dumaguete was a recipient of the 2012 Galing Pook Award for Environment for its best practices in innovating and implementing the city-wide Septage Management Program in the Philippines.
Dumaguete was the first LGU to undertake the establishment of a septage management system in the country.
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Author’s email: wea_129@yahoo.com
