It aims to eliminate financial and bureaucratic obstacles often faced by first-time jobseekers, specifically graduating Senior High School (SHS) students.
Last Thursday, March 19, the Department of Education (DepEd) launched the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in three major public schools in Metro Manila to remove the severe financial and bureaucratic hurdles for new applicants.
With the cooperation of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and other agencies, the one-stop shop has been designed for students in the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) and Alternative Learning System (ALS), who are oftentimes unable to secure jobs due to the expensive and cumbersome process of obtaining pre-employment documents.
The initiative is also regarded as one that will help families struggling to make ends meet, especially as the price of petroleum increases due to the crisis in the Middle East, as the program is estimated to save each student more than PHP1,000 in clearance fees and fares.
“We are bringing the government closer to our learners to ensure that their transition from the classroom to the workplace is seamless and cost-free, as envisioned by President Marcos,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara. “Through these reforms and partnerships, we are transforming our graduates into highly employable assets who are ready to contribute to our nation’s growth.”
For its launch, important documents were provided free of charge, in accordance with the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, benefitting more than 1,000 Senior High School (SHS).
At Tala National High School in Caloocan City, 488 beneficiaries received theirs; Makati High School in Barangay Poblacion went to 290 beneficiaries; and Neptali A. Gonzales High School in Mandaluyong City saw 397 beneficiaries receive their documents.
Aside from those, there was also job matching and career guidance to directly link graduates with vacant positions from partner companies of the program.
Through the said inter-agency BPSF initiative as well, 241 SHS Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) graduates and Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners were hired on the spot in fairs held in Sorsogon, Cebu, and Davao del Norte.
According to Angara, “This initiative is our way of ensuring our graduates do not just hold a diploma, but also a ticket to immediate employment through a one-stop shop.”
A total of 1,747 registered jobseekers went to BPSF venues such as Gallanosa National High School, Casiguran Technical Vocational School, and Bulan National High School in Sorsogon; Talisay City National High School; and Panabo City Gym.
241 graduates were immediately hired: 80 in Sorsogon; 145 in Talisay; and 16 in Panabo City.
Meanwhile, DepEd also noted more than 50 percent of qualified candidates were offered positions.
With an estimated 550,000 SHS-TVL students set to graduate nationwide, DepEd said it remains committed to expanding the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair to other regions of the country.
