Ilocos Norte has best performing PESO in Region 1

A mini job fair during the Open Capitol program (Alaric Yanos)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Laoag City—Recognizing its vital contribution to create more job opportunities for students, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has awarded the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of the Ilocos Norte government as best performing provincial PESO in Region 1.

In 2014, the provincial PESO led by Nicole Rudio has employed 900 students under its Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) to let interested students work during their free time.

The PESO spearheads the Task Force Trabaho program under the administration of Governor Imee Marcos to provide more jobs for Ilocanos.  

This is in support of Republic Act No. 9547 where the government provides work opportunities to students as a bridging program which caters to high school, college, vocational and out-of-school youth.

“The SPES program allows our students to experience work in real world, para matulungan sila na makaahon sa kahirapan. This is also our way to give hope to students at meron na silang paraan para makatulong sa kanilang pamilya,” Ms. Rudio said. 

The program seeks to expose the youth to further their education by teaching them the valuable skills towards productive work. Tasks included are assisting office staff, clerical and simple utility work, green/environment-related activities, and computer data encoding.

Regional director Grace Ursua of the DOLE Regional Office gave the award to Ms. Rudio at the One Vittoria Hotel in Bantay, Ilocos Sur on January 22.

This year, the SPES program is expected to employ more than a thousand of students who will be hired to serve as tourist aides on summer vacation starting March to May and during the holiday break on December.

For interested student applicants aged 15 to 25, the PESO is now accepting application forms at the east wing ground floor of the Provincial Capitol building.  Salary is pegged at P 311 per day with 60 % of the wage coming from the provincial government and the remaining 40 % of the hiring rate to be paid by the DOLE.