A TOTAL of 16 job seekers were hired on the spot during the Public Employment Service Office (Peso)–Bacolod Christmas Job Fair held at the Bacolod City Government Center on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
Jovelyn Canoy, Peso–Bacolod coordinator, said the annual job fair was organized in line with Mayor Greg Gasataya’s directive to provide employment opportunities for Bacolodnons during the holiday season.
“We are glad to assist our job applicants in finding employment opportunities as we welcome Christmas and the New Year,” Canoy said.
She added that the city government remains committed to job generation initiatives.
Canoy noted that more than 40 companies participated in the event, which aims to assist up to 6,000 job applicants in the city.
Peso records showed that from January to November 21, more than 700 companies offered a total of 112,155 job vacancies, resulting in the hiring of 1,585 individuals.
Among those hired was John Sidrian Arguelles, a resident of Barangay Banago who had been unemployed for nearly two months. A former service crew member, Arguelles was hired as a mason by a construction firm.
“I just tried applying and never expected to be the first one to land a job before Christmas,” Arguelles said.
He added that the opportunity would help him support his family, especially his seven-month-old baby girl. (MAP)