A total of 2,297 job applicants were hired on the spot during the “Handog ng Pangulo 2025” job fairs organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) across the country.
According to the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), the figure came from 14,240 registered jobseekers. Of the hired applicants, 57 were senior high school graduates, while 24 were beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program.
Most of the new hires were entry-level workers, including 349 production operators, 190 service crew members, and 168 cashiers. Among the regions, Calabarzon recorded the highest placement rate at 55.84 percent, followed by Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 29.03 percent and the National Capital Region (NCR) at 23.54 percent.
DOLE also reported the delivery of benefits through its employment programs. A total of 11,145 individuals received PHP46.94 million under the Government Internship Program (GIP), while 6,100 students benefited from the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) amounting to PHP30.89 million.
Under the JobStart Philippines Program, 102 beneficiaries received allowances worth PHP735,450. Meanwhile, 667 workers availed of PHP54.79 million in assistance through the Adjustment Measures Program (AMP).
For TUPAD, 79,004 disadvantaged workers were given temporary wage employment amounting to PHP442.4 million, while 9,728 beneficiaries received PHP214 million in livelihood assistance under DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program.
The “Handog ng Pangulo” series, held last Sept. 13, was aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to bring government services closer to Filipinos through simultaneous job fairs, livelihood aid, and cash assistance nationwide.