DAVAO Region was among the top three regions ranked by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bureau of Local Employment with the most number of hired on the spot (HOTS) during the recently concluded 2016 Kalayaan Trabaho Patrol Job Fair.

As of 5 pm yesterday, the region ranked 3^rd with a total of 268 HOTS, second was Region I with 333 and first was National Capital Region with 496.

Final job fair report recorded a total of 285 HOTS for Davao Region wherein 226 are for local employment and 59 are for overseas. 1,515 (local: 785; overseas: 730) total near hire applicants were recorded.

The Kalayaan Job Fair this year was held in two areas namely NCCC Mall Kadayawan Hall in Davao City and New City Hall in Tagum City.

Most job vacancies recorded filled by the HOTS include for local: customer service representatives, cashiers, hotel staff, accounting staff, nurses, and production workers; for overseas: machine operators, electricians, pipefitters, riggers, baristas, welders, and dental technicians.

With a total of 18,592 local and overseas job vacancies from 109 participating companies, the job fair was able to register a total of 1,715 job applicants wherein 1,236 had qualified. The applicants who did not qualify were either referred for further skills training or to other DOLE XI programs.

A total of 2,454 (local: 1,486; overseas: 1,486) applicants were interviewed.

Last year’s Kalayaan Trabaho Patrol Job Fair, which was held in the cities of Davao, Tagum and Digos, has gathered a total of 2,557 job applicants with a total of 532 HOTS (local: 450; overseas 82).

DOLE XI Regional Director Joffrey M. Suyao during the department’s Monday program said that there has been an apparent decrease seen in the number of the participating job seekers in Kalayaan and Labor Day Job Fairs, the department is looking at it positively as a reflection of the improvement in the employment situation in the region as supported by the recent improvement in the labor force survey data.

Davao Region’s employment rate as of April 2016 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority Labor Force Survey is now at 94.7% which is an increase from the same period last year at 94%.

“Through our efforts in employment facilitation this data may also be a reflection that many of the job seekers have already been employed which will multiply to their family allowing their children to avail of better education that will further contribute for their better future,” Director Suyao said encouraging all the members of the department to continue strengthening its efforts on employment facilitation.

This year’s theme is: “Kalayaan 2016: Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong.”

Kriztja Marae G. Labrador/LCO-DOLEXI