Over 28,600 jobseekers took advantage of the 151,000 local and overseas employment opportunities during the nationwide Trabaho Negosyo Kabuhayan Job and Business Fair in observance of Independence Day or Araw ng Kalayaan on Sunday, June 12.
Of this number, 2,405 applicants were assured of immediate employment, while close to 9,537 others were considered as near-hires, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said, citing a report from the Bureau of Local Employment.
In another statement, Bello said the government “fought hard to set Filipinos free from the bondage of joblessness.”
Leading the celebration of the 124th Independence Day of the Philippines yesterday at the Provincial Capitol Gymnasium in Malolos, Bulacan, Bello said the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte ‘moved heaven and earth’ to promote the welfare of Filipino workers.
“Right from the beginning of his term, President Duterte made employment one of his top priorities, ensuring that jobs and businesses go hand in hand under an atmosphere of industrial peace in six years,” the Labor chief said.
“And when the Covid 19 pandemic struck in 2019, the government made sure it was there to rescue our w0orkers here and abroad from the debilitating impacts of the outbreak,” he said.
In his video message, Duterte lauded Filipino workers for their ability to use their skills and knowledge, calling on the labor sector to rely on learnings of the past to defeat hardships. “I also urge our countrymen to translate their love to real acts of goodwill to fellowmen so that we can
have a more harmonious and more progressive Philippines,” the President added.
Just like the global health crisis, joblessness “is a tough nut to crack but our perseverance to triumph brought gains for our workers and economy,” Bello, who is set to finish his term in DOLE at the end of the month, said.
Before leaving, Bello rallied DOLE officials all over the country to hold a nationwide jobs fair in a bid to boost employment and help the economy recover from the pandemic.
Latest data showed over 151,000 vacancies were offered by more than 1,100 companies supporting the job fairs conducted by all regional offices of DOLE.
In Region 3 at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in Malolos, more than 1,500 already waited outside of the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium before the jobs fair opened at 9 AM.
Prepared to accommodate them were more than 150 firms with over 13,000 job vacancies led by the manufacturing and business process outsourcing sectors.
Meanwhile, of the total job offers country-wide, more than 107,000 were local while over 45,000 were overseas.
The top vacancies abroad were in nursing, factory workers, and household service while the leading destinations were the Middle East (UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait), Asia (Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan), Europe (Germany, United Kingdom) and Australia.
The labor chief underscored the government’s efforts toward employment recovery with the participation of 1,163 employers which brought with them 151,325 local and overseas jobs.
One of those who instantly found employment is 19-year-old Nina Mae Morales, who was hired as Marketing Staff by the IndoPhil Group during the main job fair event at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in Malolos City.
Morales, who is a senior high school graduate, admitted that she was eager to work immediately so she visited the said job fair site.
Meanwhile, 315 applicants were endorsed to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for skills training, 190 were referred to the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns for livelihood training/assistance, and 267 were referred to the Department of Trade and Industry for
business inquiries and concerns.
Aside from facilitating employment for those in the formal sector, the Department also awarded emergency employment and livelihood assistance to vulnerable and marginalized workers.
Bello led the distribution of salaries for 1,286 Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program beneficiaries in Bulacan.
Each worker received P4,200 for their 10-day TUPAD engagement.
Through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program, the labor chief also awarded bicycle units to 500 Freebis (Free Bisikleta) beneficiaries and Nego-Karts (Negosyo sa Kariton) to 563 informal sector workers.