Prov'l Employment Service Office has joined forces...

Lingayen- - - The province thru the Provincial Employment Service Office has joined forces with the Commission of Filipinos Abroad, Overseas Workers Welfare Association and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to raise the awareness of Pangasinenses on issues concerning labor and employment.

During the orientation-meeting dubbed, “Pulong pulong sa Kapitolyo “ at the PESO office on March 4, the three national lead agencies provided the participants from various provincial offices with information on migration, intermarriages and existing government policies against illegal recruitment, human trafficking and smuggling.

According to Cherry Joy Veniles, CFO Community Service Officer, said that their office caters preferably to Filipino immigrants or permanent residents abroad, Filipino spouses and other partners of foreign nationals leaving the country, descendants of Filipino overseas workers and Exchange Visitor program participants.

Veniles said that it is important that the people are aware of the different legalities concerning the migrant workers thus the convergence of the three national agencies was realized with an end-view to reach out to other concerned entities to act as their active partners.

Pangasinan, she said, was chosen as among the sites for the information campaign drive because it has active leaders headed by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr.

“We are assured that this campaign will go a long way with the kind of leaders that you have and also with the active participation of your PESO,” Veniles said.

Alex F. Ferrer, PESO chief, pledged a commitment on behalf of the province to work closely with the three national agencies to safeguard the welfare of Pangasinense overseas workers and protect them against illegal recruiters and human traffickers.

“Maging maingat sana ang lahat sa pag-apply abroad at sana ugaliin nilang makipag-ugnayan sa aming tanggapan o sa alinman sa tatlong lead agencies natin sa labor and employment para makasiguro na legal ang lahat ng transaksyon na papasukan nila,” Ferrer said.

Nonette Vergara, Chief of POEA Regional Center for Luzon, commended the province for giving utmost priority to labor and employment as proven by the accomplishments of the PESO even as she added that the regular conduct of jobs fair in Pangasinan and other employment programs implemented by the provincial government are worth emulating.

Vergara said that advocacy program for PNP personnel and for grassroots leaders are underway to fully establish strong partnership to combat illegal job recruitments and human trafficking nationwide.

The POEA, Vergara cited, is responsible for optimizing the benefits of the country’s overseas employment program tasked to monitor and supervise all recruitment agencies in the country.

For the complete list of recruitment and manning agencies that send Filipino workers abroad, the public is advised to log on to http://poea.gov.ph/cgi-bin/agSearch.asp.

For other inquiries concerning labor and employment, visit the following websites, www.cfo.gov.ph and owwalaunion@yahoo.com. (PIO/Ruby R. Bernardino)