ASIDE from the annual job fair, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Western Visayas is turning over today P2 million worth of livelihood projects to various beneficiaries in the province.
The turnover ceremony is part of the 2018 Kalayaan Trabaho, Negosyo at Kabuhayan (TNK) activity to be held at the Event Center of 888 Premier Mall in Bacolod City.
Dole-Wester Visayas Director Johnson Cañete, in a press conference at the Sugar Workers Development Center in Bacolod City said yesterday, June 11, the agency will distribute two livelihood checks for 153 beneficiaries.
They are giving P1 million to 53 recipients from Barangay Buenavista in Murcia town for a bamboo crafts production project.
Another P1 million in assistance will be turned over to 100 beneficiaries from Barangay Isidro, E.B. Magalona town for rice trading and carabao raising projects.
“The beneficiaries are mostly senior citizens, persons with disabilities and farmers,” he said, adding that these projects are under the agency’s livelihood program.
(Job fair)
As of yesterday’s record of Dole-Western Visayas, there are already at least 4,636 vacancies await job seekers in Negros Occidental and other provinces in Western Visayas in today’s Kalayaan Job and Livelihood Fair.
Of the total available jobs, 2,651 will be offered by 21 local companies. The remaining 1,985 vacancies are through seven licensed agencies.
Data earlier obtained by SunStar Bacolod from Dole-Negros Occidental sowed that local jobs are those in the business process outsourcing (BPO) including customer services representatives and technical support associates.
Other vacant domestic works include heavy equipment mechanic, engineers, welder and crane operators for manufacturing, and drivers, conductors, and accountants for the transport sector.
For overseas, jobs are mostly for skilled workers like welders, carpenters, mason, pipe fitter, service crew, cashiers, drivers, service crew and factory workers in countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, it added.
Service crews and factory workers are also needed in other countries, Cañete said.
Cañete said there are 429 workers who applied during the pre-registration last June 6 and 8, as he pointed out that the Kalayaan Job Fair for the region this year will only be conducted in Bacolod City.
“Job fairs are just one of the agency’s efforts to boost employment in the region,” he said, adding that “this is very timely as we have many new graduates who will form part of our labor force.”
Applicants are advised to come prepared like having multiple copies of their resumés and other supporting documents.
Cañete said they must also be ready to “sell” themselves as they are just given a short period to speak “so they have to talk sensibly.”
They should also come in comfortable and pleasing attire, he said, stressing that “employers are gathered in just one place so they must take advantage of the opportunity.”
(Other activities)
Themed “Kalayaan 2018 Pagbabago Ipinaglaban para sa Masaganang Kinabukasan,” the region-wide event will also include activities like orientation on entrepreneurship covering 50 beneficiaries.
Another 30 beneficiaries will avail of the skills training on fashion accessories. For students, 30 recipients from the VMA Global College will attend a career coaching session.
As it also celebrates the International Day against Child Labor, the agency is distributing school supplies to 200 recipient-child laborers from Negros Occidental.
They will form part of the 490 child laborers in the region covered by the program this year.
The source of the fund was the P50 registration fee collected by the agency from the participants of the “Walk for a Cause for Child Laborers” it conducted in Bacolod City last May 1.
Meanwhile, other agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Public Employment Service Office (Peso), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Pag-Ibig, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), among others, are also joining the annual activity.