15/09/2026
DOLE CALABARZON brings over 21,000 job opportunities, P37-M assistance in Handog ng Pangulo
CALABARZON — Thousands of jobseekers, workers, students, and families across the region gained access to employment opportunities and government assistance as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) CALABARZON joined the nationwide observance of Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat on September 14.
From job fairs, emergency employment orientations and payouts to livelihood assistance and other worker-focused services, DOLE provincial offices brought their programs closer to communities in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, making the occasion a regionwide delivery of employment and livelihood services.
In Cavite, the DOLE Cavite Provincial Office conducted its Handog ng Pangulo activities at the Velodrome in Tagaytay City, providing assistance through various DOLE programs. The office awarded P2.7 million under the Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) to nine establishments, while 22 beneficiaries received P6.43 million worth of livelihood starter kits under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP). Assistance was also provided to beneficiaries under the Government Internship Program (GIP) and Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), while 1,491 TUPAD beneficiaries received a total of P8.946 million.
The Cavite activity also featured a job fair with 48 partner companies offering 7,467 job vacancies.
In Laguna, the Job Fair at the City of Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex brought together 38 employers offering 3,260 vacancies. The province also distributed Php 7,376,460 in TUPAD assistance to 1,158 beneficiaries and Php 2,354,684.27 in DILP assistance to 65 beneficiaries. Meanwhile, 755 SPES beneficiaries received Php 3,860,466, while Php 2,663,109 in AMP assistance was awarded to seven enterprises, benefiting 78 recipients.
In Batangas, the province combined its Handog ng Pangulo Job Fair in Lipa City with TUPAD implementation in Agoncillo and a TUPAD orientation in Balayan. In Agoncillo, 105 beneficiaries received their initial P6,000 payout for their participation in 31-day TUPAD high-impact activities, including drainage canal clearing, lakeshore cleanup, and minor repair and clearing activities in schools affected by Typhoon Kristine.
In Rizal, the Trabaho Agad Job Fair at the Ynares Event Center featured around 40 participating companies offering 3,241 job vacancies, alongside government services for jobseekers and workers from partner agencies, including the Social Security System and the Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG).
The province also provided Php 6,000 in TUPAD wages to 400 beneficiaries following their 10-day community service. Another 300 beneficiaries from Antipolo City underwent program orientation in preparation for their engagement in short-term employment opportunities.
Under DILP, 12 workers from vulnerable sectors received livelihood starter kits to support projects such as paresan, fruit selling, milk tea, and bakery businesses, with assistance totaling Php 328,560.
Meanwhile, Chicharona Food Delicacies, a micro-enterprise based in Cainta, received Php 424,629 in AMP assistance to help address potential economic disruptions that could affect its operations.
In Quezon, the Trabaho Agad Job Fair at SM City Lucena featured 12 participating companies with 1,488 vacancies. Within the first hour of the activity, 149 jobseekers had registered, with 10 already hired on the spot, as the job fair continued throughout the afternoon.The province also conducted TUPAD payouts for 200 beneficiaries amounting to Php 1,874,400.
Kadiwa ng Pangulo activities held alongside the Handog ng Pangulo initiatives across the region featured DILP beneficiaries and livelihood program sellers, providing them with an avenue to showcase and sell their products directly to consumers. The participating sellers generated a combined Php 98,515 in sales, demonstrating how livelihood assistance under the DILP can help beneficiaries move from receiving livelihood support to putting their products in the market.
Across the region, the job fairs recorded 3,952 registered jobseekers, with 480 hired on the spot and another 151 identified as near-hire applicants. A total of 1,088 one-stop-shop services were also delivered across the five provinces, giving jobseekers convenient access to government services alongside employment opportunities.
DOLE Secretary Francis N. Tolentino also visited the Handog ng Pangulo job fair in Cavite, where he witnessed the delivery of employment services and interacted with jobseekers and participating employers. His visit highlighted the national government's focus on bringing employment opportunities and assistance directly to communities.
Across the region, the activities reflected DOLE CALABARZON's continuing effort to address different employment and livelihood needs—not only by connecting jobseekers with employers, but also by providing temporary employment, livelihood support, student employment, and assistance to enterprises.
For DOLE CALABARZON, the day's activities brought together employment, livelihood, and worker assistance programs in different communities across the region, making services more accessible to those seeking work, additional income, or support for their livelihood.
By bringing jobs and assistance closer to where people live and work, DOLE CALABARZON continues to make government services more accessible to workers, jobseekers, and families across the region.
