12/06/2026
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐
๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐
๐๐ข๐ซ, ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ก๐จ๐จ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ
๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐น๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ โ Demonstrating that the true essence of freedom extends beyond commemoration and into meaningful opportunities for every Filipino, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bicol marked the 2026 Araw ng Kalayaan with a region-wide rollout of employment, livelihood, and social protection programs designed to strengthen economic security and improve the lives of Bicolano workers and their families.
The celebration, anchored on expanding access to decent work, sustainable livelihoods, and government services, was highlighted by a series of simultaneous activities across the region, with the main event held at SM City Legazpi. In a video message delivered during the celebration, DOLE Secretary Francis N. Tolentino underscored the significance of honoring the nation's freedom by creating opportunities for workers and jobseekers.
He paid tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and patriotism of Filipino heroes whose legacy made the country's independence possible, while expressing hope that the โTrabaho Agadโ Job Fair would help more Filipinos secure employment. Secretary Tolentino also conveyed his appreciation to local government units, Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), participating government agencies, and employers for their collective efforts in making employment and government services more accessible to the public.
On the other hand, DOLE Bicol Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Atty. Nepomuceno A. Leaรฑo II, CPA, underscored the agencyโs commitment to translating the spirit of independence into concrete opportunities for workers.
"๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ ๐ก. ๐ง๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ผ, ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ป๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ป๐ด ๐ธ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ต๐ผ, ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ. ๐๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ป๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐บ๐๐บ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ," OIC RD Leaรฑo II said.
At the forefront of the celebration was the โTrabaho Agadโ Job Fair, which connected jobseekers with immediate employment opportunities. A total of 29 employers participated, offering 1,965 vacancies across various industries. Twenty-eight local employers provided 1,417 job openings, while one overseas recruitment agency offered 548 positions for deployment to Lithuania and Saudi Arabia.
Complementing the job fair was the delivery of assistance programs aimed at enhancing workersโ economic resilience. Under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program, 2,779 beneficiaries received emergency employment assistance amounting to โฑ18.5 million. Meanwhile, 393 beneficiaries were granted โฑ13.2 million in support through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) to establish or expand sustainable income-generating projects. Youth employment and workforce readiness likewise took center stage.
A total of 213 beneficiaries under the Government Internship Program (GIP) received stipends amounting to โฑ972,677.25, while 100 JobStart beneficiaries were provided โฑ535,000.00 in allowances to help them transition successfully into gainful employment. Further promoting inclusive participation in local economic activities, the Kadiwa ng Pangulo para sa Manggagawa (KnP) initiative engaged TUPAD beneficiaries in productive community-based undertakings, including product marketing and site maintenance activities.
The event also served as a platform for entrepreneurship and local enterprise development. Through partnerships with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), 90 exhibitors and sellers showcased locally produced goods and business opportunities, helping expand market access for micro and small entrepreneurs.
To bring government services closer to the public, a One-Stop-Shop was established onsite, gathering key national government agencies and service providers. Participating agencies included DOLE, DMW, DTI, DICT, TESDA, PSA, SSS, Pag-IBIG Fund, NBI, CSC, DSWD, PRC, IBP Albay, and YMCA Albay. The integrated service hub enabled workers, jobseekers, and entrepreneurs to access employment facilitation, legal assistance, skills training, business registration services, civil registry documents, government clearances, and other essential services in one venue. [End] /JVEG/
