ILOILO City – This city has cemented its place as a leader in public employment services. Its Public Employment Service Office (PESO) was elevated to the Hall of Fame, a distinction earned by consistently winning as the Regional Best PESO in the Highly Urbanized Cities category for three consecutive years.
PESO manager Gabriel Felix Umadhay described the recognition as a “strong testament” to the city’s determination to provide jobs for every Ilonggo.
“It means that our office is efficient in providing jobs, effective in implementing the programs of the Department of Labor and Employment, and has a lot of unique programs that inspire other PESO managers to come up with initiatives to address ‘context problems’ in their local government units,” he said.
Among its standout initiatives are employment badges that push for diversity hiring, requiring companies to take in persons with disability, members of the LGBTQ community, senior citizens, out-of-school youth, undergraduates, and under-skilled graduates.
“So, our employment badges offer a huge employment opportunity,” Umadhay explained.
The PESO also pioneered one-stop shops in job fairs, where hired applicants can process documents on-site and begin working the following week.
“We have made employment activities accessible for all. These are the champion moments of Iloilo City,” Umadhay said.
He emphasized that persistence and stakeholder engagement were crucial in sustaining the programs.
“Winning the award was not done overnight. We were consistent from the start to implement the program, with proper appropriation for sustainability,” he stressed.
The victory allows Iloilo City PESO to represent Western Visayas in the national competition in Tagaytay, with hopes of clinching the Hall of Fame award on the national stage.
Adding to the city’s pride, Umadhay was also elected president of all PESOs in Western Visayas for 2026 to 2028./PN