Jobs fair for semi-skilled workers set on Labor Day

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu provincial government will conduct a local jobs fair on May 1, at the Social Hall of the Cebu Provincial Capitol, mainly for the employment of semi-skilled workers in line with Labor Day.

Dr. Mathea Baguia, provincial consultant on Labor Market Information, said that there will be thousands of job vacancies offered to the public during this jobs fair.

As of the other day, 22 companies have confirmed participation out of the 60 establishments the Public Employment Service Office has invited. These are the Cebu Progress Commercial, Simon Group of Companies, SM Supermarket, Gaisano Country Mall, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Gaisano Metro. PESO is still waiting for the confirmation of other invited companies.

To the applicants, PESO suggests that they personally register themselves days before the jobs fair so that their names will be prioritized. Early registrants will be asked to return to the Capitol on the 29th so they will be screened. They will no longer be screened on the day of the jobs fair.

To date, there are already 1,266 registered applicants; 759 of them are females while 507 are males. The number of applicants is expected to increase in the coming days, Baguia added.

Registration on the day of the local jobs fair, however, will still be allowed.

Applicants will be given a registration slip, a shopping list form where they can jot down the companies that they would want to apply in, and action slips where the companies can write down the status of their application. Applicants are given a maximum of three companies to apply in.

For their application, it is suggested that applicants bring their resumé, ID pictures, Transcript of Records for college graduates, high school diplomas for high school graduates, and a birth certificate.

In relation to job opportunities, 75 students have already started their summer jobs in private companies through the provincial government's Special Program for the Employment of Students.

According to Baguia, 60 percent of the students’ summer job salaries is provided by the respective firms that “hired” them, while the remaining 40 percent is from the Department of Labor and Employment.

Besides the summer job program for students, Capitol also has a separate SPES for 227 public and private high school valedictorians from all over the province.

Aside from a leadership training, a tour around the Capitol, and a visit to the Cebu International Convention Center to observe the Sangguniang Panlalawigan meeting where they had a “reality-based exposure to a government in action”, job opportunities are provided as well through the “Pasidungog sa mga Valedictorians” program.

The 227 valedictorians will start with their summer jobs next month under the PESO of their respective municipalities. Sixty percent of their salaries will be funded by the provincial government while 40 percent will be provided by the DOLE. – Mark Z. Gantuangco, CNU MassCom intern and Karen Grace H. Yasi, Silliman University MassCom intern/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)