In the recently concluded Labor Day Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Job and Business Fair 2022
held in the cities of Panabo, Tagum, and Davao, a total of 31 applicants were Hired On The Spot
(HOTS), mostly by construction and manpower services industries.
Regielyn S. Raman, 27, one of the job seekers who was looking for greener pastures in TNK Fair at
NCCC Mall Buhangin, Davao City on May 1, 2022, said that she has joined several job fairs but this one
was the most memorable. “This is the most organized job fair I’ve been to. No long queues and the
process was smooth and well run from pre-registration stage to the final interview. Plus, I was Hired-On-
The-Spot! It’s the best job fair ever!” she shared.
“I’m glad that luck was on my side when my employer hired me on the spot. Being unemployed for too
long during this time is really challenging,” said Arnold Banlawi, 37, a repatriate OFW from Saudi Arabia.
The pandemic had forced him to return home after working abroad for seven years. “It’s been a tough
year for me. That’s why I am grateful for the efforts of DOLE XI for implementing this activity in a way that
is favorable to the job seekers. This opportunity will really help me bounce back from the impact of the
pandemic,” he added.
For this year’s Labor Day TNK Fair, DOLE XI hosted three job fairs through a hybrid approach. The pre-
registration, screening, and job matching stages were conducted online from April 25-29, 2022 for both
local and overseas job opportunities. A total of 1,169 job seekers, including Regielyn and Arnold, were
shortlisted during the online screening and were instructed to proceed to the job fair venues for face-to-face interview with the employers.
In one of his interviews with the media, Assistant Regional Director Atty. Jason P. Balais said that DOLE
XI might carry on with this hybrid approach in conducting job fairs as we adjust to the new normal. “In the
past two years, we have been hosting virtual job fairs due to COVID-19 restrictions. This time, we are
excited for our job seekers to finally have face-to-face interviews with potential employers. Through this
hybrid approach, we can regulate the number of attendees to ensure everyone’s safety, unlike pre-
pandemic job fairs where job seekers flocked to the event to personally check the list of job opportunities
or what we call ‘job shopping’,” ARD Balais added.
The 2022 Labor Day TNK, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) XI, Public
Employment Service Office (PESO), and NCCC Malls, solicited a total of 6,937 local and overseas job
vacancies from 79 employers. The DOLE XI Regional Office spearheaded the major job fair which took
place at the NCCC Mall Buhangin on May 1, 2022, while the DOLE-Davao del Norte Field Office led the
job fairs at Panabo Multipurpose Tourism and Sports Center, Panabo City and NCCC Mall of Tagum City
on April 29 and May 1, 2022, respectively.
In his message, Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy highlighted that the employment rate in Davao
Region has gone up to 8.4% in January 2022 compared to last year, while the unemployment rate
significantly decreased to 3.65%. Top job vacancies for local employment were customer service
representatives, market research interviewers, and accounting staff. For overseas, top vacancies
included hospital staff, heavy equipment operators, and electricians.
Apart from the job fair at the NCCC Mall, DOLE XI showcased some products of DOLE-Assisted
Livelihood Projects, offered free seminars on entrepreneurship in partnership with DTI XI, and provided
an area for One-Stop-Shop services to cater to employment requirements and concerns of both job
seekers and workers.
The Labor Day TNK was in line with the DOLE’s mandate to promote gainful employment opportunities
as we navigate through the new normal. This year’s Labor Day theme was “Matatag na Manggagawa,
Matatag na Bansa.”### MFKM
