ILOILO – At least 303 jobseekers are just one step away from securing employment after qualifying for further recruitment processing during the Iloilo provincial government’s Job and Migrant Fair, raising prospects of a significant increase in successful placements beyond the 40 applicants hired on the spot.
Provincial Public Employment Service Manager Dr. Cynthia P. Dario said the 303 applicants classified as “near hired” need only to undergo follow-up interviews or submit additional documentary requirements before they can be officially employed.
Combined with the 40 applicants hired immediately, the figure represents 343 individuals, or 68.6 percent of the 500 registered jobseekers who participated in the October 21 employment fair at Casa Real de Iloilo.
However, the 303 applicants have yet to secure confirmed employment, with their hiring dependent on the completion of recruitment requirements.
The employment fair, organized by the Iloilo provincial government through the Office of the Provincial Public Employment Service Manager (OPPESM), offered a total of 8,740 job opportunities from 30 participating companies recruiting for local and overseas positions.
Of these vacancies, 4,787 were overseas job orders, accounting for approximately 54.8 percent of the total opportunities, while 3,953 were local employment openings.
The figures underscore the substantial demand for Filipino workers abroad, with overseas positions outnumbering local vacancies by 834.
Among the available overseas jobs were waiters and waitresses for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia; household service workers for Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Jordan and Qatar; and electricians and painters for the United Arab Emirates.
Other overseas openings included household attendants for Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as staff nurses, female cleaners, and fast-food and coffee service workers for Saudi Arabia.
Local employers, meanwhile, sought call center agents, delivery drivers, sales clerks, helpers, cashiers, baggers, production helpers, service crew members and customer assistants, among others.
The 40 applicants hired on the spot secured positions including call center agents, baggers, cashiers, clerks, customer assistants, food handlers, investment specialists, kitchen personnel, machine operators, management trainees, office staff, sales associates, sales managers and service personnel.
Apart from recruitment activities, the fair also provided access to government services, benefiting 116 individuals who sought assistance from various participating agencies.
These included the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Social Security System (SSS), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), PhilHealth, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Pag-IBIG Fund.
The provincial government, under Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., organized the employment initiative to expand job opportunities for Ilonggos seeking work locally and abroad./PN
