• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City Public Employment Service Office (PESO) is set to deploy 975 summer jobbers under the Special Program for the Employment of Students starting May 15.
According to PESO Bacolod Coordinator Jovelyn Canoy, the work program will span 20 days and features two funding categories for the participants.
A group of 200 students will receive approximately P12,400 in wages, with 40 percent funded by the Department of Labor and Employment and 60 percent by the city government.
The remaining 775 beneficiaries are fully city-paid and will earn a salary of P9,600.
To maximize the impact of the program, beneficiaries will be assigned to government offices that correspond with their academic courses to enhance their specific skill sets.
Canoy said some jobbers will be tasked with conducting surveys in various barangays to identify unemployed residents between the ages of 18 and 30.
This data collection effort aims to help PESO reach remote areas that are often underserved by government employment initiatives.
In a separate development, the city’s Labor Day Job Fair held at SM City Bacolod on May 1 resulted in 88 being hired on the spot from a pool of over 2,000 applicants.
Canoy said the figure represents a significant improvement over the hiring rates recorded during the 2025 event.*
