Gordon wants equal opportunities for jobseekers

MANILA, Philippines - United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Richard Gordon wants to eradicate the discrimination against Filipino jobseekers who are overage, poor or not pleasant-looking.

If elected, Gordon said he plans to create an equal opportunity law which aims to ensure that a Filipino jobseeker’s application for a post will be given due course and will not be turned down outright because of age, social status and looks.

“When you are already old, aged 30 years old and above, do you get the chance of getting hired? No, because you are overage. If you will show your pictures toothless, ugly, are they going to hire you? The poor cannot get jobs,” Gordon said.

“I will manhandle those who will treat you that way. That is why I will file a law for equal opportunity and we will bombard those who will not hire any person because of his age and unpleasant looks with charges,” Gordon said.

He said employers should choose employees based on their ability, morals and education.

“They should only look at their ability and not at their ugliness or beauty and age,” Gordon said.

He said that at present, the age requirement for vacant positions in the country is usually 30 years old and below.

He said people who lose their jobs and are already more than 30 years old find it hard, if not impossible, to secure another employment.

““Discrimination is a problem too, for people who do not have pleasing personality. Jobseekers who are not graduates of the country’s top schools also have difficulty getting jobs,” Gordon said.