ALMOST 700 jobseekers successfully found employment after participating in the simultaneous Labor Day Job Fairs held yesterday across the country.
Based on the initial report by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), 673 jobseekers were hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) as of 1 p.m. yesterday.
Service crew members tallied the most HOTS at 24, followed by financial advisors at 13, production clerks at 8, cashiers at 7, and drivers at 6.
The HOTS number, however, was merely 4.47 percent of the 15,049 registered jobseekers for the nationwide job fairs.
Last week, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said their HOTS target was 40 percent, higher than the 10 percent average HOTS in previous simultaneous job fairs.
DOLE said other jobseekers were referred to other government agencies and institutions — 426 to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, 203 to the Department of Trade and Industry, and 142 referred for livelihood assistance. There were also 1,810 others who were referred to other participating agencies
DOLE said a total of 126,273 jobs were offered by 1,286 employers.
The simultaneous job fairs were held in 39 sites in different regions, including one last Sunday at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Four job fairs will also be held this week as part of the post Labor Day celebration of DOLE.
They will be held at the NCCC Mall, Tagum City, Davao del Norte on May 2; People’s Center, Balanga City, Bataan on May 3; Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium, Malolos City, Bulacan on May 4; and at the 3rd Level Alabang Public Market on May 5.
Some 4,000 individuals applied for overseas jobs in the job fair conducted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in its main office in Mandaluyong City.
“As of 3:30 pm, there were almost 4,000 applicants in the Overseas Mega Jobs Fair for jobs in different countries,” the DMW said.
In his welcome address, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia assured applicants that the overseas jobs offered in the event are legitimate.
“This is a venue for overseas job seekers to access legitimate recruitment agencies,” said Olalia.
A total of 15,000 overseas employment opportunities were offered by 31 land-based recruitment agencies and 4 sea-based manning firms.
Among the jobs offered are for nurses, engineers, restaurant workers, hospital workers, construction workers, and seafarers.
Jobs offered are those based in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the United States of America.
The Marikina government said 420 applicants participated in yesterday’s job fairs in the city, with 36 hired on the spot.
“Here in Marikina, we don’t want to give temporary aide but long-term assistance or, in this case, jobs that they and their families can be proud of,” Congresswoman Marjorie Ann “Maan” Teodoro, the wife of Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, said.
She said 15 companies took part in the job fair at the quadrangle of the Marikina City Hall while 35 companies joined the job fair at SM City Marikina. — With Christian Oineza
