Pre-labor day job fair: Thousands of jobs up for grabs today

CEBU, Philippines - Thousands of jobs are up for grabs at the pre-Labor Day Job and Career Fair spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment Central Visayas at the Mandaue City Sports Complex today.

“There will be enough jobs for Cebuanos who want to work, and these jobs will be offered in the pre-Labor Day Job and Career Fair,” said Director Exequiel Sarcauga of DOLE-7 as he urges unemployed Cebuanos to attend this activity.

There are 30 local and 16 overseas employers offering an initial 17,639 job vacancies in construction, electronic, assembly, masonry, carpentry, welding, tile setting, hotel and restaurant, and medical care.

In this pre-Labor Day activity, Sarcauga said there will be career orientation on different DOLE employment facilitation programs including Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES); Government Internship Program (GIP); and JobStart Philippines.

Another event feature will be the “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir,” the DOLE’s convergence reintegration program with the Department of Education for OFWs who are teachers.

Several beneficiaries of the program will be around to deliver testimonies on how “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir” has changed their lives.

“Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir” offers the opportunity for OFWs who are passers of the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) to come home and pursue their teaching careers as there are over 30,000 job vacancies offered by DepEd.

Sarcauga is also glad to have Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz to join the job and career fair today in Mandaue City.

DOLE undersecretary Nicon Fameronag said last year they reached 22.8 percent hired-on-the-spot applicants or HOTS in the Philippines. This year, they are eyeing for 25 percent HOTS in job fair activities.

Sarcauga disclosed that there are already 22 job fairs conducted in the region for the first quarter of the year with over 49,700 registered job vacancies. Out of  8,106 job seekers, 923 applicants were hired on the spot this year.

This kind of activity, he said, will help bridge the gap between employers and employees to meet each other’s needs. — (FREEMAN)