All systems go for first tourism jobs fair

It’s all systems go for the first Tourism Jobs Fair (TJF) 2006 with President Arroyo poised to lead all sectors of the travel and tourism industry in launching the Manila leg of the series at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

The President, together with Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, will kick off the TJF employment match in Manila for the over 15,000 tourism-related jobs offered by more than 300 employers at the fair.

"The fair will highlight the start of the industry’s year-round job creation, hiring, and training in response to President Arroyo’s 10-point agenda that includes the creation of six to 10 million jobs as a government priority," Durano said.

The opening ceremony at The Forum of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila will be conducted as the TJF at the NCCC Mall in Davao City winds up its activities that began yesterday.

The TJF in Cebu, which also began yesterday at the Waterfront Hotel, ends today.

The fair will be a one-stop venue where employers and suppliers of tourism jobs can meet with the potential labor force from around the Philippines to assess each other’s needs and create employment matches.

The TJF also establishes the country’s first tourism databank for vacancy postings from employers and applications from jobseekers. This databank will also enable jobseekers, who will not be hired during the fair, to be referred to the Tourism Industry Board Foundation Inc. (TIBFI) for further skills training.

The Department of Tourism’s TJF overall director and Team Japan head Rosvi Gaetos said all the requirements of the event have been put in place and the agency is fully geared up for the expected influx of thousands of jobseekers, local and foreign employers, and representatives from education and technical training institutions, many of whom were tapped as speakers for the Cebu, Davao and Manila events.

The three-day TJF in Manila includes "build a career in tourism" lectures comprising presentations on personality development, resumé writing, work values, training programs, and reasons for building a career in aviation, maritime, tour operations, travel, tour guiding, hotel, food and beverage, resort, spa, conventions and meetings, and exhibitions and special events.

The speakers include human resource development consultant Dindo Raymundo of the Association of Trainers in Tourism and Allied Industries (ATTAIN), Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2002 and instructor/facilitator Karen Loren Agustin of John Robert Powers, president Freddie Primicias of ATTAIN, freelance consultant Cora Asidao, tourism standards director Ma. Victoria Jasmin of the DOT, former tourism undersecretary and current trustee Evelyn Pantig of the TIBFI, holidays and partners manager Mahalia Leung of Cebu Pacific, and recruitment manager Artemeio Serafico of Jebsens Maritime.

Managing director Arnie Bayagh of Blue Horizons Travel and Tours, president Paul Lim So of Action Holidays Tour Corp., community relations senior manager Evelyn del Rosario of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, sales and marketing director Rose Libongco of Hotel Philippine Plaza, education committee head Catherine Brillantes-Turvill of the Spa Association of the Philippines, marketing and events management director Butch Garcia of the PICC, and president Marisa Nallana of the Philippine Association of Congresses/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers will give presentations, among others.

Similar lectures and presentations on personality and career development will be conducted at the TJF in Cebu City and Davao City.