DOLE PROGRAMS PUT JOBS, LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN REACH OF SIBUGAY RESIDENTS
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay — Hundreds of residents gained access to employment, livelihood and income opportunities as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) brought several of its programs to Zamboanga Sibugay during the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat” on September 14.
Held at the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Capitol Atrium, the activity combined direct wage assistance, livelihood support, youth employment and recruitment services, giving beneficiaries different avenues to earn and improve their economic prospects.
Through the Emergency Employment Program, DOLE released ₱5.175 million in wages to 452 workers who took part in temporary community-based projects. The beneficiaries included farmers, fisherfolk, rubber tappers, irrigators and members of disadvantaged sectors.
The workers were deployed through partner agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Rubber Research Institute, National Irrigation Administration, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture.
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Another 36 individuals received ₱1.8 million in livelihood assistance under DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program. The package included tools, equipment and raw materials intended to help beneficiaries establish or strengthen small income-generating ventures.
Young residents were also among those assisted, with ₱1.387 million in stipends distributed to 322 beneficiaries of the Government Internship Program and Special Program for Employment of Students.
The GIP beneficiaries gained work experience through government offices, while SPES participants were provided temporary employment to help support their education and develop workplace skills.
Employment opportunities were further expanded through the Trabaho Agad Job Fair, which attracted 849 jobseekers. Participating employers and recruitment agencies presented 1,772 openings, including 270 positions in the Philippines and 1,502 overseas vacancies.
The recruitment activity resulted in 14 immediate hires, while another 36 applicants were considered near-hired and 235 were assessed as qualified for available positions. These applicants will still undergo succeeding recruitment procedures before employment is finalized.
The various DOLE initiatives were carried out as part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat,” with the Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay, led by Governor Dulce Ann K. Hofer, supporting the delivery of government services at the provincial capitol.
