TOTAL of 31 applicants were hired on the spot in the recently concluded Labor Day Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Job and Business Fair 2022 held in the cities of Panabo, Tagum, and Davao.
The applicants were mostly hired by the construction and manpower services industries.
Regielyn S. Raman, 27, one of the job seekers in the TNK Fair at NCCC Mall Buhangin on May 1, said that she has joined several job fairs but this one was the most memorable.
“This is the most organized job fair I’ve been to. No long queues and the process was smooth and well run from the pre-registration stage to the final interview. Plus, I was hired on the spot. It’s the best job fair ever!” she shared.
“I’m glad that luck was on my side when my employer hired me on the spot. Being unemployed for too long during this time is really challenging,” said Arnold Banlawi, 37, a repatriate OFW from Saudi Arabia.
The pandemic had forced him to return home after working abroad for seven years. “It’s been a tough year for me. That’s why I am grateful for the efforts of DOLE XI in implementing this activity in a way that is favorable to job seekers. This opportunity will really help me bounce back from the impact of the pandemic,” he added.
For this year’s Labor Day TNK Fair, DOLE XI hosted three job fairs through a hybrid approach. The pre-registration, screening, and job matching stages were conducted online from April 25-29, 2022 for both local and overseas job opportunities. A total of 1,169 job seekers, including Regielyn and Arnold, were shortlisted during the online screening and were instructed to proceed to the job fair venues for a face-to-face interview with the employers.
In one of his interviews with the media, assistant regional director Jason P. Balais said that DOLE XI might carry on with this hybrid approach in conducting job fairs as we adjust to the new normal.
“In the past two years, we have been hosting virtual job fairs due to COVID-19 restrictions. This time, we are excited for our job seekers to finally have face-to-face interviews with potential employers. Through this hybrid approach, we can regulate the number of attendees to ensure everyone’s safety, unlike pre-pandemic job fairs where job seekers flocked to the event to personally check the list of job opportunities or what we call ‘job shopping’,” Balais added.
The 2022 Labor Day TNK, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) XI, Public Employment Service Office (PESO), and NCCC Malls, solicited a total of 6,937 local and overseas job vacancies from 79 employers.
The DOLE XI spearheaded the major job fair which took place at the NCCC Mall Buhangin on May 1, 2022, while the DOLE-Davao del Norte Field Office led the job fairs at Panabo Multipurpose Tourism and Sports Center, Panabo City, and NCCC Mall of Tagum City on April 29 and May 1, 2022, respectively.
In his message, regional director Randolf C. Pensoy highlighted that the employment rate in Davao Region has gone up to 8.4% in January 2022 compared to last year, while the unemployment rate significantly decreased to 3.65%. Top job vacancies for local employment were customer service representatives, market research interviewers, and accounting staff. For overseas, top vacancies included hospital staff, heavy equipment operators, and electricians.
Apart from the job fair at the NCCC Mall, DOLE XI showcased some products of DOLE-Assisted Livelihood Projects, offered free seminars on entrepreneurship in partnership with DTI XI, and provided an area for One-Stop-Shop services to cater to employment requirements and concerns of both job seekers and workers.
The Labor Day TNK was in line with the DOLE’s mandate to promote gainful employment opportunities as we navigate through the new normal. This year’s Labor Day theme was “Matatag na Manggagawa, Matatag na Bansa.” (PR/DOLE XI)
