DOLE-6 holds 5,000-job fair on Independence Day

By Mariela Angella Oladive

More than 5,000 local and overseas job opportunities are available to job seekers June 12 as the Department of Labor and Employment in Western Visayas (DOLE-6) holds its “Trabaho Agad” job fair as part of the country’s 128th Independence Day celebration.

The event is taking place at Robinsons Place Iloilo starting at 9 a.m., with 58 employers offering a combined 5,107 vacancies.

Of the total openings, 55 participating companies are offering 3,418 local positions, while three overseas recruitment agencies are making available 1,689 jobs abroad.

Among the most in-demand positions are customer service representatives, loan officers, production crew members, sales associates, service crew, premium agents, financial consultants, English as a second language tutors, and janitorial personnel.

Vacancies are also available for applicants seeking entry into the Officer Candidate Soldier Course.

The openings span key sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food services, information and communication, financial and insurance services, real estate, administrative support services, and public administration and defense.

A one-stop shop involving partner government agencies is also operating alongside the job fair to help applicants process employment-related requirements and access government services.

Free health services — including urinalysis, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) screening, mental health assessment, and general medical consultations — are likewise being offered during the event.

“Beyond employment facilitation, this year’s celebration highlights DOLE’s commitment to inclusive and holistic public service,” DOLE-6 Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. said during a press conference ahead of the fair.

He said the initiative reflects a collective government effort to bring opportunities and essential services closer to the people, and to ensure that Filipinos have greater access to decent work, sustainable livelihoods, and a better future.

Beyond job matching, DOLE-6 is also releasing more than PHP 40 million in assistance to various beneficiaries across the region.

The agency is distributing over PHP 26.19 million under its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program and PHP 4.9 million in stipends for 1,009 beneficiaries of the Government Internship Program (GIP).

An additional PHP 9.4 million in livelihood grants is being released to two project proponents.