CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – In a significant prelude to the National Labor Day celebrations, TESDA MIMAROPA and DOLE MIMAROPA officially signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on April 28 to establish and strengthen Job Placement Offices (JPOs) within TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs) across the region.
This strategic partnership is a direct response to the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan (PLEP) 2023-2028, which emphasizes enhancing employment facilitation services and fostering collaboration among government agencies to benefit the Filipino workforce.
Under the agreement, JPOs will serve as dedicated service hubs within TTIs, designed to guide trainees and graduates as they transition from technical-vocational education to actual employment or entrepreneurship.
“Through these Job Placement Offices, we’ll definitely pave the way for jobs bridging that will be done by all of our institutions so that we can match the skills needed by the industries,” Regional Director Baron Jose L. Lagran stated. “We believe, and we assure our counterparts in DOLE, that these Job Placement Offices, through our own system, will not be a useless exercise. Ito po ang magiging daan upang itong ating mga graduates ay mas mabigyan natin ng pagkakataon na maging employed at maging importanteng kasama sa economic development ng ating bansa.”
The initiative aligns with this year’s Labor Day theme: “Disenteng Trabaho Para Sa Lahat: Isang Hangarin, Bagong Pilipinas Sama-samang Mararating”. By institutionalizing JPOs, the regional offices aim to accelerate labor market linkages, ensuring that graduates possess the specialized skills and “workforce readiness” required by modern industries.
The MOA signing, held in Calapan City, is expected to unlock thousands of opportunities for residents of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, focusing on sectors with high demand for technical expertise and professional integrity.
The successful forging of this alliance sets the stage for the wide-reaching public services to be delivered by both TESDA and DOLE on May 1. Through strengthened coordination, the government reaffirms its commitment to bringing services closer to the people, driving an inclusive and vibrant economy for the MIMAROPA region.·