WHILE it was organized for would-be displaced workers from the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) industry, the special job fair to be conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) next month will be open to all job seekers.

This was the clarification issued by the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), which said other jobseekers not coming from the POGO industry will not be barred from participating in the October 10 activity.

“We shall be holding this job fair for workers affected by the forthcoming closure of POGOs,” said BLE Director Patrick Patriwirawan Jr. in a television interview. “But this shall be open to all our countrymen looking to participate in this job fair.”  

But Patriwirawan stressed that the job fair will mainly cater to those who are involved in the POGO industry.

“It is a targeted job fair that gives emphasis or priority to the displaced POGO workers,” said Patriwirawan.

Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – National Capital Region (NCR) announced that a special job fair for POGO workers is set on October 10 at the Ayala Mall Manila Bay in Parañaque City.

The BLE said some 70 companies and employers have expressed interest in participating in the job fair.

Jobs set to be offered are those belonging to the business process outsourcing, information technology, hospitality, tourism, general services, and wholesale and retail sectors.

Nearly 80,000 workers in the POGO industry are projected to be affected once the nationwide ban takes full effect in December.