Photo courtesy of DICT-5
More than 1,200 digital and digitally enabled jobs were offered to applicants as the Department of Information and Communications Technology opened its first Trabahang Digital Job Fair in Naga City.
The two-day event offered 1,222 vacancies to about 1,500 pre-registered jobseekers, according to DICT Bicol. Available positions covered software development, cybersecurity, digital marketing, multimedia design, customer service, accounting, marketing and sales.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the initiative sought to expand employment opportunities as artificial intelligence continued to transform the labor market and change the skills companies require from workers.
Aguda said the business process outsourcing industry employed about 2 million workers and added around 80,000 jobs in 2025, followed by another 80,000 as of mid-2026.
Beyond BPO, the department was looking to create more digitally enabled jobs that Filipinos could pursue remotely with reliable internet access and appropriate training.
The job fair also catered to students, freelancers, entrepreneurs, riders and micro, small and medium enterprises. Participants were offered learning sessions on digital skills, cybersecurity, financial literacy, Google Workspace and online work in the age of AI.
Aguda cited virtual assistant training as among the programs being offered by the DICT to help Filipinos develop skills that could translate into online employment.
During his Naga City visit, Aguda also inspected internet connectivity in schools and said the DICT planned to check public markets and improve Wi-Fi or fiber connections at tourism sites to support the city’s digital economy.