By Liza Agoot/Philippine News Agency
BAGUIO CITY – Some 3,688 overseas and local jobs are up for grabs for jobseekers in the upcoming Kalayaan jobs fair at the Porta Vaga Mall along Session Road on Wednesday.
Six overseas employment agencies will be offering 2,873 job vacancies for different countries while 25 local companies, including three contractors of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the “Build, Build, Build” program, will be making available some 815 jobs,” Exequiel Ronnie Guzman, regional director of the Cordillera office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-CAR) on Tuesday said.
Among the top local job vacancies include customer service representatives, sales representatives, cashiers, teachers for English as Second Language, sales associate, food and beverage staff, baggers, warehouse staff, maintenance staff, and bookkeepers.
The available overseas work are nurses, waiters and waitresses, cleaners, nursing aide, electricians, technicians, caregivers, English teachers, production or machine operators, mechanical and electrical technicians mostly in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Singapore, Kuwait and Qatar.
Guzman advised jobseekers to be early and bring with them multiple copies of their document.
He also reminded job seekers to be in proper attire and ready in cases of on-the-spot interviews by their prospective employers.
The government’s job fair initiatives in the Cordillera adopts the “Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan” concept providing a venue for jobseekers and a livelihood activity support component.
“For those who do not want a job but wants a livelihood or to venture in an income generating activity, the government through the Department of Trade and Industry will also do a business forum at the CRC Hall within the Bishop’s Residence compound on the same day,” Guzman said.
The jobseekers and those who are planning to start a livelihood or entrepreneurial undertaking can get business counseling or avail of other DTI livelihood/business – related services.
The job fair will also be a One-Stop-Shop government service with the Social Security System, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and other partner regional line agencies establishing their booths to provide services.
At the jobs fair venue, about 20 livelihood beneficiaries of DOLE, DTI and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will also showcase their products.
As additional perks for the public, businesses in the Porta Vaga Mall will be offering in-store discounts to shoppers as a show of support to the government’s “Diskwento caravan” (discount caravan), where buyers can purchase basic products at discounted, affordable and reasonable cost.
The Cordillera office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-CAR) has recorded that the region has a total labor force of 1.28 million with 61.6 percent participation rate or 792,176.
The region has a 95.1-percent employment rate or 753,359 employees, 16.3 percent underemployment rate equivalent or 122,797, and an unemployment rate of 4.9 percent equivalent to 38,817.
Guzman reiterated the call to jobseekers and prospective entrepreneurs to avail of the fair as the best venue and opportunity for them to showcase their best personality and skills to employers.
He said that the job fair organized in the city consistently has a good showing with a high rate of “hired-on-the-spot” (HOS) workers with a 14.6 percent rating.
During the May 1 Labor Day job and livelihood fair, there were 2,401 registrants with 349 hired on the spot while 1,839 other qualified applicants were listed as near-hires, or those who were required to submit additional documentary requirements or to undergo additional interviews or get training to boost their qualifications.
Based on the May 1 activity report, there were 1,823 who applied for local jobs while 883 tried their luck for overseas employment.
For the near-hires there were 47 job applicants referred to the Cordillera office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA-CAR) where they can avail of government scholarships to meet the required skills for them to be hired.
There were also 160 jobseekers referred to the Cordillera office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-CAR) for business or entrepreneurial assistance being provided by the agency while 175 job applicants availed of the government services offered during the jobs fair.
The annual Labor Day Job Fair is spearheaded by the DOLE family in coordination with concerned government agencies and the private sector to provide jobseekers with jobs that fit their existing qualifications.
Guzman said the conduct of the annual job fair is timed right after the graduation ceremonies of universities and colleges so that graduates wanting to get employed can have the opportunity to apply for jobs.
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