Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo has commended the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Public Employment Service Office Managers Association of the Philippines (PESOMAP) for their efforts in generating jobs for Filipinos.

“Thank you DOLE and PESO for being the reason why we have a thriving workforce. The Duterte administration is extremely grateful for the work you do each day,” he said.

Panelo, who is also Chief Legal Counsel, delivered the keynote message before some 1,500 participants of the three-day 19th National PESO Congress, which opened at the SMX Convention Center Bacolod here on Wednesday.

“Your work, although challenging and stressful, is already bearing fruit and you are all witnesses to this,” he added.

Panelo also lauded the DOLE and PESOMAP, Inc. for allowing the participants to foster learning and exchange best practices on how to improve employment facilitation services.

He said bringing a comfortable life for all is the socio-economic goal of President Rodrigo Duterte, and providing a decent job and creating a safe and sound workplace for the Filipino worker form part of this overreaching goal.

“Your theme, ‘Sa PESO may Disenteng Trabaho ang Bawat Pilipino’, is therefore apt as we seek to strengthen our labor force. It is but necessary therefore, to have decent jobs for every Filipino worker. This is one of the campaign promises of the President,” he added.

Panelo noted that since the start of the Duterte administration in 2016, the numbers in the labor force have drastically changed.

Employment rate remains at a peak of 94.5 percent in July this year while unemployment rate remained stagnant at 5.5 percent in April this year.

“This is largely because several local and international investors are deciding to invest their money in businesses which, in turn, generate jobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, underemployment rate went down from 17.2% in July 2018 to 13.9 percent in July 2019.

“Efforts on the anti-endo campaign led to the regularization of more than 460,000 in the first three years of the Duterte presidency,” Panelo said.

He added that Duterte also signed other landmark measures to improve the job situation in the country. (PNA)