City employment reform ordinance up for talks

Councilor Gigi Go will preside over the committee on cooperative, labor and employment to deliberate Proposed Ordinance No. 2026-242, otherwise known as the “Cagayan de Oro City Employment Reform Program.”

The said measure seeks to establish an employment reform framework that will expand access to employment opportunities through barangay-based employment systems and improve the delivery of labor-related services to city residents.

Central to the proposal is the establishment of the Barangay Employment Assistance Desk (BEAD) as the primary coordinating mechanism between barangays and the city Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

The proposed ordinance tasks the barangays to maintain updated labor market information systems and to designate a BEAD Officer to oversee local hiring and employment and job referral services.

They are likewise encouraged to institutionalize the National Skills Registration Program-Public Employment Information System (NSRP-PEIS), which will serve as a citywide manpower and skills registry to align labor supply with local and foreign employment demands.

Another key provision of the proposal mandates businesses operating in the city to prioritize qualified residents, particularly those residing in host barangays, in their hiring processes.

Establishments are likewise encouraged to maintain at least 50 percent local residency in their workforce composition.

To strengthen enforcement, compliance with local hiring quotas and NSRP registration shall become prerequisites for the issuance or renewal of business permits and licenses.

Also included is the establishment of the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (TAIR), which shall conduct surveillance operations against anti-illegal recruitment and legal assistance for victims of fraudulent recruitment activities.

The measure allocates an initial P3 million for the implementation of BEAD operations and capacity-building activities during the first year of implementation, subject to inclusion in subsequent annual city budgets. (FDC/SP)