About 2,795 applicants have joined this year’s Araw ng Kalayaan Job and Business Fair last June 12, 2018 which was conducted simultaneously in two venues namely the Davao City Recreation Center (Almendras Gym) and at the Tagum City New City Hall.
With a total of 17,822 solicited job vacancies for both local and overseas, the one day job fair resulted to a total of 142 hired on the spot (HOTS) from the 2,204 qualified applicants. A total of 139 employers have also joined the said event.
This year’s activity is celebrated under the theme “Pagbabago Ipaglaban, Alay sa Masaganang Kinabukasan.”
Top vacancies for local vacancies include Customer Service Representatives, Mason, Carpenter, Marketing Personnel and Sales Personnel. Meanwhile, top overseas vacancies are Nurses, Sales Assistant, Caregiver, Engineers, and Laborers (welder, electrician, painter).
In Davao City, opening ceremony of the activity was graced by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) XI Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante, DOLE Davao City Field Office Chief Erlinda G. Mamitag together with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) XI Davao del Sur Provincial Director Delia M. Ayano, Davao City Public Employment Service Office Head Lilibeth Pantinople and ABS-CBN News Chief Francis Magbanua.
RD Agravante in his message, encouraged all the applicants to give their best in order for them to be hired on the spot during the one day job fair.
Freya Mae P. Gregorio, a 22-year-old working student, was the first HOTS in Davao City to be assigned as service crew in a local fast food chain.
“Wala ko nagdahom nga ma-HOTS ko kay ulawon gyud ko, ang akoa ni-apply lang jud ko sa work opportunity. Happy lang gyud kaayo ko (I am not expecting to be HOTS because I am very shy, I just tried taking the work opportunity. I am very happy),” Gregorio said.
Electrical Engineer Jason Saludo, another hired-on-the-spot, shares his experience joining the job fair as a fresh graduate and board exam passer.
“Siyempre overwhelming siya kay first job jud nako ni siya and hopefully mabuhat nako akong responsibilities sa company and ma-enhance pud nako akong skills (Of course, it is overwhelming since this is my first job and hopefully I can do all my responsibilities to the company and also enhance my skills),” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry also conducted two batches of livelihood seminars particularly on candle making and mushroom production.
Furthermore, other than the Job Fair and Livelihood Trainings, there was also a One-Stop-Shop participated by government agencies such as Philhealth, Social Security System, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
KMGL/DOLEXI
