Durano to kick off Trabaho sa Turismo Manila today
MANILA, Philippines - Tourism Secretary Ace Durano will open today the Trabaho sa Turismo (TST) Manila 2009 fair at the SMX Convention Center, where he will welcome thousands of job applicants from Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.
Joining Durano at the TST Manila opening are the executives of some 300 companies participating in the fair, and six of those hired in the same event last year.
The six, now regular employees of prestigious tourism firms, are human resources officer Tracy Austin Kua of the Manila Peninsula, front desk officer Sherein Gaviola and butler Levylyn Moises of Sofitel Philippine Plaza, front desk officers Nico de la Cruz and Aleni Sumaya of Legend Villas, and reservations agent Rachelle Mabalot of Scorpio Travel.
They were among the 10,157 applicants in TST Manila 2008, where 175 companies offered a total of 18,000 jobs.
Durano described this year’s TST Manila as a very important event, made even more significant by the country’s need to hurdle any adverse effects of the global crisis on the local economy.
“And we are happy that we in the industry can ably stand up to the challenge, sustaining the flow of both foreign and domestic tourists, attracting investments in big-ticket tourism projects, and creating jobs and livelihood across the archipelago as all these happen,” Durano said.
Upon his arrival, Durano will meet with members of the media and have a tour of the employers’ booths where job applicants will be screened and interviewed.
Most applicants are expected to have been pre-registered online at www.jobsdb.com.ph to speed up the screening process on-site, where on-the-spot hiring is possible.
Some applicants have been hired on the spot in previous years, both in Manila and Cebu where the TST is held annually, although the screening and selection process normally requires at least a week or two to complete.
The TST Manila 2009 comes on the heels of the highly successful TST Cebu, where 131 employers offered a total of 8,598 jobs to 8,404 applicants.
“So we expect the numbers to be a lot bigger at the TST Manila where around 300 employers are participating,” Durano said.
Supported by Smart Communications, Mercury Drugstore and media partners ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin, this annual event is the country’s only tourism-focused job fair.
Participating in TST 2009 are DOT-accredited local and foreign-based employers such as airlines, shipping/cruise companies, hotels, resorts, restaurants, travel agencies, tour operators, convention and exhibition centers, spa and wellness establishments, recruitment firms, golf clubs, malls and department stores, call centers and business process outsourcing companies, banks, schools, government agencies, and entertainment outfits, among many others.
