News Details

DOLE Strengthens PESOs to Create Sustainable, Decent Work for Filipinos Nationwide

NPO

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November 8, 2025

MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is intensifying efforts to strengthen the Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) across the country to effectively address unemployment and underemployment while promoting decent and sustainable work opportunities for Filipinos.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the department continues to enhance PESO programs and services, ensuring that every job seeker has access not only to employment but to dignified and stable career paths.

“Our primary initiative involves strengthening the nationwide network of Public Employment Service Offices, which have a proven track record of facilitating high placement rates,” Laguesma stated.
“We continue to intensify our efforts to create sustainable careers, and not just jobs,” he added, emphasizing DOLE’s commitment to long-term employment stability.

According to the September 2025 Labor Force Survey, the country’s unemployment rate slightly increased to 3.8 percent from 3.7 percent in the same period last year, while underemployment improved to 11.1 percent from 11.9 percent in 2024.

Currently, the PESO network consists of 1,592 offices, of which 807 are fully institutionalized. Operated by local government units and linked with DOLE, these facilities serve as vital community-based employment hubs connecting workers to local and overseas job opportunities.

Recent employment growth was noted across several sectors, including construction (+514,000), fishing and aquaculture (+313,000), accommodation and food services (+307,000), human health and social work (+183,000), and agriculture and forestry (+126,000). The agriculture sector, in particular, reported consistent increases both year-on-year and month-on-month, signaling resilience and renewed productivity.

Through the modernization and expansion of PESOs, DOLE aims to make employment services more accessible, data-driven, and responsive to evolving labor market needs — ensuring that every Filipino can find not only work, but a pathway to dignified livelihood and national growth.

— NPO News Team | PNA-PR