DepEd, DOLE expand Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair nationwide to support SHS, ALS jobseekers

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 




QUEZON CITY, 25 March 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are expanding the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) to at least two schools in every region nationwide to help senior high school and Alternative Learning System (ALS) graduates transition more easily from school to work.

The initiative is part of the Bagong Pilipinas agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration, which seeks to bring government services closer to communities and open more employment pathways for Filipino youth.

The nationwide rollout follows the successful pilot implementation of the program, which connects learners directly to employers while allowing them to process pre-employment requirements in one location.

During the nationwide launch at Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative also responds to the challenges faced by families amid global economic pressures and rising costs.

“Sa panahon na nararamdaman ng maraming pamilya ang epekto ng krisis sa ekonomiya at pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, mahalaga na inilalapit ng pamahalaan ang mga serbisyo at oportunidad sa ating mga kabataan,” Angara said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng Serbisyo Fair, hindi na kailangang gumastos at pumunta pa sa iba’t ibang tanggapan upang makuha ang mga dokumentong kailangan para makapaghanapbuhay,” he added.

Under the program, learners can secure pre-employment-related documents such as police and NBI clearances, PhilHealth registration, and other requirements that are often needed by first-time jobseekers.

DOLE Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres of the Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster said the partnership between DepEd and DOLE strengthens efforts to ensure that young Filipinos are able to transition more smoothly from education to employment or what we call school-to-work transition.

“Through this partnership, we are bridging the gap between academic preparation and the realities of the labor market. Our goal is to increase employability and expand access to the employment opportunities of Senior highschool graduates through this Serbisyo Fair,” Undersecretary Torres said.

Private companies also participate in the fairs, offering job vacancies and conducting recruitment activities directly in schools.

Initial results from the pilot rollout showed strong participation from both government agencies and private employers. In nine schools across Metro Manila, Sorsogon, Talisay City in Cebu, and Panabo City in Davao del Norte, 300 learners were hired on the spot, while 1,428 beneficiaries availed themselves of free government clearances and other employment-related services.

Around 600 learners joined the launch event in Batasan Hills National High School, together with more than 20 private companies offering job vacancies and recruitment opportunities.

The expansion of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair will allow more graduates across the country to access employment opportunities, government services, and career pathways as they begin entering the workforce.

𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐖𝐅, 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐲𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐂𝐀𝐃

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Nagpulong ang Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) at Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) noong 10 Marso 2026, 10:00 nu, sa tanggapan ng Korte Suprema hinggil sa tuntuning ipinatutupad ng Korte Suprema sa Filipino Sign Language (FSL) sa Hudikatura.



Nilinaw ng dalawang panig ang mga proseso sa pagsasagawa ng Visual Communication Assessment for the Deaf (VCAD) kabilang ang pagtalakay sa dokumentasyon at pagbabayad sa Deaf Assessor, alinsunod sa A.M. No. 21-12-04-SC (Re: Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Filipino Sign Language Act). Nakaangkla rin ito sa Batas Republika 11106 o FSL Act na naglalayong palakasin ang akses ng Deaf Community sa mga serbisyong panghudikatura at maisulong ang ingklusibidad na pamamahala bilang tugon sa Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) ng Korte Suprema.

Dumalo mulâ sa KWF si Dr. Benjamin M. Mendillo Jr., Komisyoner sa Pangasiwaan at Pananalapi, kasáma ang Yunit ng FSL sa pangunguna ni G. Patrick Bryan Q. Ablaza, Senior Deaf Advocacy Officer; Bb. Diana Pria Vizmanos, Deaf Advocacy Officer; at mga Admin Assistant na sina Bb. Nicah Lagrimas at Bb. Mitzi Mae Tabao. Kinatawan naman nina Hon. Lilian Barribal-Co, Assistant Court Administrator, at Atty. Andrea Mae E. Oraciln ang OCA.

SMC’s Alabang River cleanup boosts flood resilience in Muntinlupa

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 




Better Rivers PH removes 9M tons of waste and silt from 10 river systems



San Miguel Corporation (SMC)’s river cleanup initiative has cleared a critical stretch of the Alabang River, boosting flood resilience in an area bounded by residential subdivisions, public roads, and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Muntinlupa City.

Based on its latest monitoring report, SMC’s Better Rivers PH river cleanup initiative has removed a total of 62,363 metric tons (MT) of silt and waste from the Alabang River, starting from its mouth at Laguna de Bay, through Cupang Bridge, and up to its section near the PNR Railway Bridge. The effort is now progressing upstream toward the Alabang Viaduct area.

With this development, taken together with other simultaneous river cleanups that SMC is currently undertaking in six other areas north and south of Metro Manila, the company’s Better Rivers PH program has breached 9 million tons of silt and garbage removed from at least 10 major river systems, since 2020.

It can be recalled that SMC began its clearing operations of Alabang River upon the request of the Muntinlupa City local government unit (LGU) and in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), following a flooding incident at the Alabang Viaduct in July 2025.

Now, improved river flow has already been observed as rehabilitation of this critical waterway progresses, well ahead of the rainy season.

In addition to dredging, SMC is also undertaking river widening works, to improve the Alabang river’s carrying capacity and boost flood mitigation. These efforts complement local government-led efforts to relocate informal settler families (ISFs) situated along the riverbanks, and the removal of sheet piles that have encroached into the river, which have restricted water flow and increased flood risk.

“Through these ongoing clean-up and rehabilitation efforts, SMC reaffirms its long-term commitment to flood mitigation and environmental rehabilitation under the Better Rivers PH program, working closely with local government units to protect communities and promote cleaner, safer, and more resilient waterways,” said SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang.

Also gaining headway are ongoing Better Rivers PH operations in the Las Piñas River system (Las Piñas and Zapote rivers), covering 1.84 kilometers, with a total of 179,558 metric tons of dredged silt and waste removed; the Parañaque River system, spanning 9.14 kilometers with 368,414 metric tons removed; and rivers in Laguna (Landayan, San Pedro, and Silang–Sta. Rosa), where 0.83 kilometers has yielded 93,550 metric tons of silt and waste.

Efforts north of Metro Manila include the start of cleaning up the Tullahan River upstream in Novaliches area, which has thus far covered 300 meters upstream with 20,536 metric tons of waste removed; and the Tanza River in Navotas, where 5,166 tons of waste has been removed from a 250-meter area.

Meanwhile, ongoing cleanup operations along the Tabang River in Bulakan and Malolos, Bulacan have reached 8.03 kilometers, with 29,488 metric tons of waste and silt collected.

Along with previously completed cleanups of the Bulacan, Pampanga, and Laguna river systems, as well as the Tullahan, Pasig, San Juan, and Navotas rivers, Better Rivers PH has rehabilitated a total river length of 184.33 kilometers, removing 9.01 million metric tons of garbage, silt, and debris as of March 22.



PHOTOS:





Pic 1 Alabang River, upstream of Cupang Bridge





Pic 2 Alabang River Mouth



Pic 3 Relocation of ISFs and removal of encroached Sheet piles





Pic 4 Dredging near PNR Rail bridge