More than 1,600 Barangay Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Coordinators gathered at the Passi City Arena today (November 28) for the first ever Barangay PESO Coordinators Summit.
The event, organized by the PESO of the Iloilo Provincial Government, aims to strengthen employment facilitation up to the barangay level and establish community-based linkages concerning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
PESO Iloilo acting head Cynthia Dario said almost all of the barangays in the province have already designated their respective Barangay PESO Coordinators. She said, the Barangay PESO Coordinators will undergo series of trainings and seminars to equip them with knowledge and skills with regard to their roles and responsibilities.
Passi City Vice Mayor Elyzer Chavez, representing City Mayor Stephen Palmares, welcomed the summit guests and participants.
Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr., in his message, cited the important role of the Barangay PESO Coordinators in identifying the OFWs in their respective barangays who were affected by the conflict in Israel and Lebanon recently.
The data were used to monitor the situation of the OFWs and to connect them with their families here under the provincial government’s “Oplan Bulig Ilonggo”.
He also stressed the important role of the Barangay PESO Coordinators in establishing a registry of available workers in their barangays based on their skills or qualifications.
“The data that you have gathered are important to us, because with data we can effectively match the jobs available with our workforce,” Defensor said.
Also present in the summit were Fourth District Board Member Rolando Distura, Sara Mayor Jon Aying, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 6 Assistant Regional Director Melisa Navarra, Department of Migrant Workers regional head Rhea Glynda Calantas and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 6 OIC regional director James Mendiola, former PESO Iloilo head Francisco Heler, Jr. and Provincial Administrator Raul Banias.
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