ILOILO CITY – Jobseekers are invited to take advantage of the one-day job fair here on Friday where 4,000 vacancies are up for grabs.
The job fair is in line with the national observance of the 92nd anniversary celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Dec. 8.
DOLE Western Visayas Assistant Regional Director Melisa Navarra, in a press conference on Tuesday, said the job fair will be held at the VIP Lounge of the Festive Mall in the Mandurriao district, with 54 local employers offering 2,729 vacancies, and four overseas employers, with 1,288 vacancies are waiting for qualified applicants.
“We have facilitated the pre-registration, but as per our experience, most of our job seekers register on-site,” she said, adding that 293 applicants have pre-registered as of Tuesday.
There will also be a one-stop shop booth for 10 partner agencies joining the job fair.
“For first-time jobseekers, we have agencies that provide free assistance, like those requesting licenses,” she said.
DOLE personnel will guide the jobseekers, especially those hired on the spot, in securing their required documentation.
At the venue, DOLE will release PHP12.5 million intended for 400 informal sector workers from Iloilo.
Regionwide, the total amount to be released under the Integrated Livelihood Program and the Adjustment Measure Program is PHP16.6 million, covering 501 informal sector workers.
Around PHP306,000 will be released to 74 recipients of the Special Program for Employment of Students in Antique and Capiz.
Other job fairs will be held as pre-anniversary activities to include the one in Roxas City on Dec. 4, in Antique on Dec. 5, and in Batad on Dec. 9.
A job fair was held in the municipality of Oton in Iloilo last Nov. 27.
Starting Nov. 28 and until Dec. 8, DOLE will have payouts in various provinces for 22,730 workers under the cash emergency employment program or the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) workers worth more than PHP126.2 million.
DOLE also partnered with the Department of Agriculture for the Kadiwa ng Pangulo and Livelihood Fair in various venues in the region. (PNA)