President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rolled out seven new Department of Labor and Employment initiatives in Cebu on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, aimed at moving disadvantaged Filipinos past short-term aid and toward sustainable livelihoods. The launch at Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark in Lapu-Lapu City introduced programs like SkillPass, Trabahong-Dagat, and Sagip-Trabaho to tackle systemic job mismatches.
The new rollout expands the reach of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program, which has assisted 14.04 million beneficiaries since July 2022. For millions of Filipinos, employment is the means to provide for families, put their skills and education to good use, and create a more secure future for ourselves. Our duty as a government is to ensure that they have the opportunities to pursue these goals,
President Marcos said in his speech.
Marcos Directs Agencies to Fix Skills Mismatch
Speaking to attendees at the 26th National Public Employment Service Office Congress, President Marcos pointed to persistent employment barriers. Significant challenges continue to stand in the way. Limited access to job information, employment services, and livelihood opportunities remains a barrier to securing decent work. Skills mismatch continues to prevent workers from finding jobs suited to their capabilities, further resulting in unemployment and underemployment,
he noted.
To address these shortcomings, the Chief Executive instructed TESDA, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Departments of Education, Labor and Employment, and Trade and Industry to synchronize educational programs with current labor demands. Alongside these institutional directives, new minimum wage rates for private-sector workers and domestic workers in Central Visayas took effect on Wednesday. Covered private-sector employees received an additional ₱42 in their daily minimum wage, while kasambahays gained an extra ₱500 monthly.
Seven Flagship Innovations Deployed Under TUPAD
SkillPass lets beneficiaries document work experience and skills to gain better access to jobs, training, and TESDA certification. Tropa Negosyo Trabaho, also known as Puhunan Ko, grants groups of at least five beneficiaries capital assistance from ₱50,000 to ₱500,000 alongside business mentoring.
Other measures target business retention and workplace exposure. Sagip-Trabaho offers wage subsidies for up to 90 days to micro, small, and medium enterprises hit by mandated wage increases. Meanwhile, KaHANAP places job-ready workers in MSMEs for up to 90 days of supervised workplace experience. Match Fund LGU pairs national and local resources for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-income-class municipalities, while Tulong-Aral engages academic mentors to assist Grades 1 to 3 students with reading and math. Finally, Trabahong-Dagat provides fishing-related training and blue economy enterprise development, particularly during closed fishing seasons, during which President Marcos interacted with fisherfolk receiving boats and livelihood gear.
National Employment Metrics and PESO Hall of Fame Honors
Government figures presented at the congress showed broad hiring activity ahead of the rollout. From January to August 2026, the government hosted 1,554 job fairs, yielding 65,534 on-the-spot hires. The Public Employment Service Office program successfully placed over 91% of qualified jobseekers, while the Special Program for Employment of Students benefited 111,509 youth during the first half of 2026. Another 19,455 interns completed stints through the Government Internship Program over the same months.
The gathering saw the presence of Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia Chan, alongside Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Philip Lo, and Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative Junard Q. Chan. During the congress, five local offices earned Hall of Fame honors for employment facilitation: PESO Province of Antique in Region VI, PESO City of Biñan in Laguna, PESO Talavera in Nueva Ecija, PESO Jimenez in Misamis Occidental, and PESO Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental.
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