THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced that 19 jobseekers were hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) during the Project DOLE Action Plan and Transition Program (Dapat) Construction Job Fair in Zamboanga City on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula said the job fair, held at the convention center of KCC Mall de Zamboanga, was joined by 21 local employers offering 1,851 job vacancies for skilled workers from the construction and related sectors.
DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula said that among the positions filled were: mechanical engineer, one; office staff, two; stockman, two; housekeeping, one; encoder, one; service crew, five; delivery rider, one; production workers, four; recorder, one; and, sales associate, one.
The positions filled demonstrated the range of employment opportunities available for skilled workers, DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula said.
One of the successful applicants, Fatima Bauddin, who was hired as Mechanical Engineer at Vicente T. Lao Construction, shared her positive experience as a first-time jobseeker.
“My whole experience during the job fair was smooth as the staffs were very accommodating. Para sa mga (For those) first-time jobseekers, inaanyayahan ko po kayong sumubok maghanap ng trabaho sa pamamagitan ng (I invite you to try looking for a job through) job fair,” Baudin said.
The job fair gathered 192 registered jobseekers, with an additional 88 near-hires, reflecting continuing opportunities for displaced and unemployed workers to re-enter the labor market.
Meanwhile, the 88 near-hires who are still completing their pre-employment requirements will continue to be monitored by DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula for a maximum period of 30 days to support their successful employment.
DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula said that in addition to employment opportunities, 12 government agencies participated in the One-Stop-Shop services, providing pre-employment assistance to jobseekers, while the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) conducted skills assessment during the job fair.
A total of 102 jobseekers availed of the One-Stop-Shop services, further supporting their employment application requirements.
DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula said that Career Development Support (CDS) services were also made available, with the support of various Job Placement Offices (JPOs) from both government and private educational institutions, which assisted jobseekers in matching their skills with available employment opportunities.
The Project Dapat Construction Job Fair was organized by DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula, in partnership with government agencies and private stakeholders, to support displaced workers in the construction sector through employment facilitation and workforce transition services.
DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula said the job fair forms part of agency’s continuing efforts to assist displaced workers through employment facilitation, skills development support, and strengthened collaboration with industry partners. (SunStar Zamboanga)