President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday directed government agencies to align training programs with labor-market demands, citing skills mismatch as one of the barriers preventing Filipinos from securing suitable employment.
Speaking at the 26th National Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Congress in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Marcos said the government must strengthen the link between skills development and actual job opportunities.
“Skills mismatch continues to prevent workers from finding jobs suited to their capabilities, further resulting in unemployment and underemployment,” the President said.
He said the administration had directed the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to align their training programs with labor-market needs.
The directive comes as the latest Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that 2.77 million Filipinos were unemployed in August, equivalent to an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent.
Although the rate declined from 6 percent in July, it remained higher than the 3.9 percent recorded in August 2025.
The PSA also reported that 5.9 million employed Filipinos were underemployed in August, meaning they wanted additional working hours, another job, or work longer hours. The underemployment rate stood at 11.9 percent.
Marcos said the government would continue promoting skills development responsive to the needs of local and international businesses and industries.
Among the initiatives highlighted at the congress were Trabahong Dagat, which integrates temporary employment with TESDA skills training and certification for coastal and fishing communities; Skill Pass, which establishes an integrated pathway for work skills and certification; and Sagip Trabaho, which provides temporary wage support and worker-protection assistance to distressed workers from micro, small, and medium enterprises.
The government also held a maritime job fair in Mactan, offering more than 1,300 vacancies, including 275 in the maritime sector.
Marcos said the initiatives aim to help workers acquire skills, gain experience, and build more secure livelihoods.
The President also cited existing employment programs, including the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), which provided short-term jobs to 111,509 students and out-of-school youth in the first half of 2026. Nearly 20,000 participants also gained public-service experience through the Government Internship Program during the same period.
Job fairs, TUPAD
From January to August, the government conducted 1,554 job fairs, with 65,534 people hired on the spot under the PESO program, Marcos said. He added that more than 91 percent of qualified jobseekers have been successfully placed since his administration began.
The Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, meanwhile, had provided emergency employment assistance to more than 14 million beneficiaries as of August.
Marcos also recognized local governments for sustained performance in employment facilitation, citing five PESOs that had won the national search for best PESO for three consecutive years and earned Hall of Fame recognition.
He said the government must continue directing resources to workers who need them most and remain accountable for employment outcomes.
Central Visayas wage hike
The President also noted that new minimum wage increases in Central Visayas took effect on Wednesday, raising the daily minimum wage of covered private-sector workers by PHP42 and the monthly minimum wage of domestic workers by PHP500.
“We must continue working together, directing resources where they are needed the most, and remaining accountable for the results,” Marcos said. (PNA)