THE RECENT PESO Job and Migrants Fair 2025 at Casa Real de Iloilo was a gathering of hopeful jobseekers and recruiters that mirrored the persistent struggle for sustainable employment in the province. With over 3,300 jobs offered and several applicants hired on the spot, the event proved effective in matching people to opportunities. Yet, it also raises a serious question: Do job fairs truly lead to lasting job security?
While the Iloilo Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO) deserves praise for connecting employers and workers, a one-day event cannot, by itself, solve the long-term challenge of underemployment. Many of those hired during job fairs often find themselves in short-term or low-wage positions. The promise of employment must extend beyond the signing of contracts — it must ensure decent work, fair pay, and career growth.
Local governments, therefore, must go beyond the ceremonial success of job fairs and explore investing in post-employment support systems. This means tracking employment outcomes, offering livelihood assistance to those who fall through the cracks, and providing reskilling programs to help workers adapt to shifting market demands. Iloilo can take the lead by establishing a job retention and career development program, in partnership with industries and educational institutions, to prepare workers not only to get jobs — but to keep them.
The same principle applies to those seeking opportunities overseas. The government must ensure that Ilonggos who leave the country for work are not just deployed but protected and guided toward stable, ethical, and secure employment abroad. A hired worker is not necessarily a secure worker — and the measure of success lies in how long and how well they thrive in their chosen field.
Job fairs may open doors, but what happens after the fair determines whether those doors lead to progress or frustration. Iloilo’s goal should not stop at producing more workers; it must be about producing fulfilled, resilient, and protected workers who can sustain their livelihoods with dignity. Job security—not merely job placement—must be the real victory worth celebrating.
If Iloilo continues to innovate in its employment programs — building bridges between training institutions, local industries, and migrant support agencies — it can become a model for inclusive labor development in the region. True progress lies not in the number of jobseekers hired for a day, but in how many Ilonggos are empowered to build stable, meaningful lives for years to come.
