Noy says he may need hair transplant soon

MANILA, Philippines - A former sidewalk vendor who now works as a hair transplant assistant may soon have President Aquino among her future clients.

“We might see each other again in the coming days,” the President told DJhoanna Cusio, who was hired through the government’s JobStart Philippines, when he met her during the Labor Day celebration in Cebu in May.

The President shared Cusio’s story during the 15th National Public Employment Service Office Congress in Pasay City yesterday. He said he told her he might see her soon because he has been losing hair on the sides, eliciting laughter from the crowd, including Cusio, who attended the event.

“Like what Jhoanna said, not once did it cross her mind that she would be able to step into an office. With the help of JobStart, she found a job with bigger pay from being a sidewalk vendor,” Aquino said.

JobStart Philippines was launched with the help of the Asian Development Bank and Canada. It prepares beneficiaries for an eight-day “life skills training,” up to three months technical training under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or a private company and up to three months internship.

Aquino said 601 beneficiaries graduated from the pilot run of JobStart and 431 or 71.7 percent had been employed. He said the Department of Labor and Employment has been receiving positive feedback about JobStarters.

“Jhoanna is only one of those who were given an opportunity to have a better future… If we are allowing our people to depend on (traditional politicians) before, we are now helping them stand on their own two feet,” the President said.

Demands of the job 

Aquino blamed the demands of his job to his hair loss.

He recalled a message he received thanking him for “taking on a job that no one in his right mind would accept.”

Aquino said the rigors of the job made him wonder why many people want to take his place. “They are around 130,” he said, referring to the number of individuals who filed their certificates of candidacy for president in the 2016 elections.