Davao City. – The two-day celebration of the Labor Day in Davao City started with a Holy Mass on May 1 at the San Pedro Cathedral at 7:45 a.m. At 10:00 a.m., a program was conducted at the Atrium of Gmall of Davao witnessed by hundreds of jobseekers and mall goers.

DOLE XI Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante welcomed the guests, participants and stakeholders. In his message, he said, “Today, we honor the labor force of the nation. You are the foundation of our economy.” He further stressed that the Labor Day Celebration with the conduct of as Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan Job and Business Fair is for solely for the jobseekers and individuals who wanted to pursue in entrepreneurship.

Director Agravante announced that there were 70 local and 20 overseas employers offering job vacancies with a total of 7,983, orf which  3,301 was for local and 4,682 for overseas.

The fair ended in the afternoon of May 2 with the following results: Applicants Registered  = 2,543 (Local – 1,864 and Overseas – 679); Applicants Qualified – 1,534 (Local – 1,055 and Overseas – 479); Applicants Interviewed = 5,048 (Local – 3,276 and 1,772 Overseas). Hired On The Spot (HOTS) = 306 (Local – 229 and Overseas 77). For further interview = 848 (Local – 720 and Overseas – 128).

For those interested in entrepreneurship, DTI XI conducted trainings on Green Economy Practices, Flower Arrangements on May 1, and Social Media Marketing on May 2. The two-day activity was a partnership among DOLE XI, DTI XI, Gmall of Davao, ABS-CBN Davao, PTV Davao, Interface Computer College and PESO Davao City. /By Eduardo P. Monreal, DOLE RO XI LCO-Designate