15,000 jobs up for grabs during NIR’s Labor Day celebration

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — At least 15,000 jobs are up for grabs in the Negros Island Region (NIR), comprising the Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, as the Department of Labor and Employment girds up for this year’s 114th Labor Day celebration tomorrow.

In Negros Oriental, several activities have been lined up for the celebration—a walk for a cause, a jobs fair for both local and overseas employment, a career fair, and a pre-Mother’s Day celebration, among others, said Maritess Mercado, chief labor officer of the DOLE provincial office.

At a Kapihan sa PIA forum this week, Mercado said the walk for a cause (“Lakas Ko, Edukasyon Mo”) is intended to raise funds for a child-labor free barangay in the province. A registration fee of P20 will be asked from each participant, she said.

At the jobs fair, at least 50 potential employers for both overseas and local job hiring are expected to participate, with already 48 of them having signed up for the activity, said Ma. Socorro Mira, PESO-Dumaguete manager.

Of the total, 25 are local employers while the rest are manning agencies for overseas employment, Mira added.

Mira appealed to job seekers to prepare their documents and visit the nearest PESO for pre-registration where advice and coaching will be given to guide job seekers in applying for the right job.

There will be HOTS or hiring on the spot as well, while others will be going through a process of hiring based on their qualifications, she said. A shopping list of all available jobs will also be set up at the venue, Mira said.

On the career fair, Mercado said government agencies will be holding an exhibit featuring their respective services and courses. At the same time, public assistance desks are to be established, she said.

Among those coming to the career fair are the Professional Regulatory Commission, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, National Bureau of Investigation, Social Security System, and PhilHealth, among others, Mercado said.

An orientation-mitigation program for K-12 will also be held on the same day at the convention center for teachers and others who will be affected by it, she further disclosed.

A pre-Mother’s Day celebration will also highlight the Labor Day celebration in Negros Oriental where 100 red roses will be given out to mothers. —(FREEMAN)