DOLE job fair delivers jobs in Western Visayas

Freedom found expression in jobs, livelihood opportunities and accessible government services as the Department of Labor and Employment in Western Visayas brought together jobseekers, workers and partner agencies for the Trabaho Agad Job Fair and simultaneous service delivery activities on June 12, 2026 in Iloilo City.

The activity was held in celebration of the 128th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence, anchored on the theme “Kalayaan 2026: Kalayaan, Kinabukasan, Kasaysayan.”

Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino launched the Trabaho Agad Job Fair initiative to expand job opportunities, empower vulnerable sectors and bring government services closer to the public.

DOLE’s official list of key officials identifies Tolentino as labor secretary, following his appointment as acting secretary by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on May 25, 2026.

At the job fair, 160 applicants were hired on the spot, while 797 were classified as near-hires.

Applicants chose from 5,141 job vacancies offered by 56 local employers and four overseas employers.

DOLE Western Visayas Regional Director Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. directed labor personnel to assist near-hires with their requirements and further interviews, when needed.

To further support workers and jobseekers, DOLE Western Visayas organized a one-stop shop of government services in collaboration with other agencies.

The setup allowed jobseekers to process employment requirements and access government assistance and frontline services in a single venue.

The Department of Health deployed medical teams that provided free medical consultations and other basic health services throughout the event.

Beyond employment facilitation, the activity also promoted livelihood development and local entrepreneurship through KADIWA centers and a livelihood fair.

The livelihood fair featured 40 participating sellers, including local producers, farmers’ cooperatives and livelihood beneficiaries.

DOLE Western Visayas, through its field offices, also simultaneously facilitated the payout of assistance under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers program, or TUPAD, across the region.

TUPAD is DOLE’s community-based emergency employment program for displaced, underemployed and seasonal workers, providing short-term work assistance to vulnerable workers.

A total of 4,421 beneficiaries received emergency employment assistance amounting to PHP 26,197,340.

The payout included PHP 10,436,800 for 1,760 beneficiaries in Aklan.

In Antique, 810 beneficiaries received PHP 4,803,300.

In Capiz, 479 beneficiaries received PHP 2,840,470.

In Guimaras, 310 beneficiaries received PHP 1,973,050.

In Iloilo, 1,062 beneficiaries received PHP 6,143,720.

DOLE also released a PHP 7,900,200 check for livelihood assistance to seven workers’ groups in Maasin, Iloilo.

The assistance will benefit 396 members involved in bamboo craft, furniture making and trading, spices, condiments and rice trading, chicken egg production, rice and feeds retailing, and bamboo woven production projects.

DOLE also released PHP 500,000 in livelihood assistance to 39 beneficiaries from Barangay Bontol in Sibalom, Antique, for aquaculture and vegetable farming.

The regional office also strengthened its campaign to end child labor through Project Angel Tree activities under the Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Guimaras.

The program benefited 215 child laborers and was complemented by an information service caravan and fun run held in observance of the 2026 World Day Against Child Labor.

The World Day Against Child Labor is observed every June 12 to bring together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, businesses, civil society and communities in efforts to end child labor.

Beneficiaries received school supplies, educational materials and other support interventions intended to help children stay in school and promote safer, more positive opportunities for their development.

DOLE’s Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program seeks to prevent children from entering child labor and remove children from child labor through advocacy, services and coordinated interventions.

Rodriguez reaffirmed the department’s commitment to ensuring that Filipinos have access to opportunities that can improve their lives.

He said that behind every job opportunity is a family striving for a more secure future, and that helping workers find employment and access support services remains at the heart of DOLE’s mission.

“True freedom is realized when every Filipino is given the opportunity to live with dignity, a sustainable livelihood and a bright future for their families,” Atty. Rodriguez emphasized.

As Western Visayas commemorates the nation’s hard-earned freedom, DOLE Western Visayas said it remains steadfast in expanding access to quality employment, strengthening sustainable livelihoods and promoting economic opportunities for workers and their families.

The agency said these efforts support the Marcos administration’s commitment to advancing decent work, social justice and economic empowerment toward improving the lives of Filipinos. (DOLE)