Job applicants crowded the ground floor of the Mandaue City parking building to apply for local or international employment. /Photo from the Mandaue City PIO FB page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 55 individuals were hired on the spot during the Labor Day job fairs organized by the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) on Wednesday, May 1.
More than a thousand others face brighter prospects with opportunities of finding employment after they complete their final interview and submit other requirements that were asked by their employers.
Over 18,000 local and overseas job opportunities were up for grabs in the four simultaneous job fairs held at Mandaue City parking building, SM City Cebu Trade Hall, Cebu Provincial Capitol Social Hall, and Robinson’s Place in Dumaguete City.
As of the noontime, at least 1,714 hopefuls have registered at the four job fair sites of which only two thirds or 1,159 applicants qualified for the positions that they applied for. But they are yet to undergo the actual hiring process.
Another 333 applicants already completed the first stage of the application process and will be scheduled for final interview with their respective employers.
DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton said during the opening of SM City Cebu job fair that more than 100 companies participated in this year’s activity.
“It is not only the private sector that will be recruiting. The PNP (Philippine National Police) will also be recruiting here. Both the government and the private sector are in this job fair,” said Siaton.
Considering the demand for skilled workers under the government’s ‘Build! Build! Build!’ program, Siaton said, most of the job opportunities were construction-related.
The job fairs held in different venues in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu were part of the series of activities for this year’s Labor Day celebration.
Activities for the day started with a 5 a.m. caravan and solidary run and fitness dance activity dubbed as “Zumba sa Mayo” held at 6 a.m. at the covered car park of the SM City Mall Cebu. /dcb