BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Over 4,000 job applicants trooped to SM City Bacolod yesterday for the Kalayaan Jobs Fair hosted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The event was part of the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebrations.
DOLE-Western Visayas director Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr., was not surprised by the large turnout of job seekers. He said a lot of workers either lost their jobs due to businesses closing, were terminated, or were temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“(The huge turnout was) a clear manifestation that they needed jobs, talagang uhaw na uhaw na silang magtrabaho,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez thanked the Bacolod City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as the management of SM City Bacolod for supporting the event.
A total of 6,152 job vacancies (both local and abroad) were up for grabs, with a total of 46 local companies and seven licensed-agencies participating in the event.
DOLE also encouraged the participating companies to hire applicants on the spot.
The first such company to follow through with DOLE’s encouragement was the Negros Grace Pharmacy, with DOLE announcing they hired 10 applicants on the spot.
Several government agencies also joined the jobs fair such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and even DOLE itself with Rodriguez stating that they also have vacancies./PN
