CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –- Some 4,397 reported “near-hires” were tallied in the Department of Labor and Employment’s (Dole) recently concluded region-wide Job and Business Fairs in Central Luzon.
Preliminary reports from the Technical Support and Service Division and Dole Field Offices show that around 4,472 jobseekers flocked all six job and business fairs in the region.
Dole Regional Director Zenaida Angara-Campita reported to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III that the region-wide fairs had a successful turnout on its near-hires.
“Near-hires are job applicants who were considered hired but still need to submit additional or lacking requirements, or may need to attend further interviews or tests/exams,” Campita explained.
Campita also noted that the preliminary near-hires computed also include jobseekers who were considered near-hired in multiple companies they applied for.
“Jobseekers may apply for various jobs from various employers during our job fairs and in this particular event, we are happy to note that quite a number of them were considered near-hired, not in just one but in several companies they applied for, giving them more opportunities to land a job,” Campita explained.
Technical Support and Service Division for Employment and Welfare head Alejandro Inza Cruz said that those who will be hired are expected to add-up in the days to come.
“We will have our usual month-long monitoring of our “near-hires” and those subjected for interview from reports submitted by our job and business fair employer-participants and we are hopeful that these applicants would eventually be hired and land jobs,” Inza Cruz explained.
Campita said that the region-wide job and business fairs continues to adopt the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Concept forged by the DOLE and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“The TNK concept aims to achieve full employment and creation of jobs in Key Employment Generators (KEGs) specifically in the manufacturing, agri-business, construction, tourism, IT-BPM, transportation and logistics, and retail and trade,” Campita explained.
“The job and business fairs are expected to increase rate in applicants hired in KEGs during the job fairs, apprise and advocate job seekers to consider entrepreneurial and business opportunities, and build strong partnerships among concerned agencies such as the Dole, DTI, local government units, and stakeholders from the private sector,” she added.
The DTI provided a lecture on business opportunities for 35 returning OFWs who wish to venture into entrepreneurship and small businesses.
The said lecture was facilitated together with the National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), another OFW client-based Dole attached agency similar to the Owwa.
Aside from the TNK job and business fairs, the labor agency released a P10,550,000 livelihood assistance that benefited some 1,138 beneficiaries from different parts of the region.
The livelihood assistance was in form of Negosyo sa Kariton (Nego Kart) Projects, DOLE Kabuhayan Starter KITS, and other various community enterprise development-based projects.
Beneficiaries include marginalized individuals or groups, ambulant vendors, women workers, skilled individuals, and OFWs.
RD Campita, in an interview with local media, commended and thanked the Dole’s program partners for their continued support in this year’s Labor Day job and business fairs.
“We would like to thank our program partners in today’s concluded region wide Labor Day job and business fairs here in the region. Our strong convergence has made it again easier, convenient, and inexpensive for our jobseekers aspiring for jobs they are vying for,” Campita said.
“We are likewise grateful to our partners from the different Local Government Units through their Public Employment Service Offices, National Government Agencies, Philippine Information Agency, Media Partners, and other sponsors, participating employers and recruitment agencies, and most importantly, our jobseekers, who patiently waited and endured in job-hunting,” she added.
Campita also commended and thanked the different host venues for providing convenient and conducive venues for holding the Job and Business Fairs.
The job fair venues were held at the Robinsons Starmills, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Nicanor V. Guillermo Convention Center, Marilao, Bulacan; and SM City Olongapo, Olongapo City.
Other venues include the Sentro Baler Dr. Juan C. Angara Memorial Hall, Baler, Aurora; Cabanatuan City Hall Grounds in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; and Bulwagan ng mga Gobernador, Tarlac City.
Another job and business fair for Bataan and nearby residents was held on May 2 at the Bataan People’s Center, Capitol Grounds, Balanga City, Bataan.
This year’s month-long Labor Day celebration in the region anchors the theme, “Pagpupugay sa Manggagawang Pilipino: Dangal ng lahi, kabalikat sa progresibong pagbabago!” (PR)