DOLE sets job fair for ex-POGO workers

MANILA, Philippines —  The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will hold a job fair in October, specifically targeting former workers of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) who have lost their jobs.

“The job fair is open to all our countrymen who want to be employed,” DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment director Patrick Patriwarawan said at a public briefing on Wednesday.

The government is ready to help employees affected by the closure of POGO companies, Patriwarawan said.

The DOLE has recommended to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. the exclusion of special class business process outsourcing in the POGO ban.

Patriwarawan said the DOLE has been conducting nationwide job fairs where jobseekers from different regions can participate. The DOLE is also initiating sectoral or targeted job fair, offering employment to a specific group, he said.