DOH job fair draws low turnout

CEBU, Philippines — With 263 jobs up for grabs from participating healthcare facilities, the first ever job fair conducted by the Department of Health Central Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH 7 CHD) at SM City Cebu’s Food Court Event Center on Wednesday, June 18, 2024, only managed to draw in 57 applicants.

In line with the 126th founding anniversary of DOH, the government agency initiated job fairs in different regions across the country prompted by the idea floated by Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro ‘Ted’ Herbosa due to the issue on several job vacancies in hospitals.

The initiative also aligns with the DOH’s action agenda 7, Kapakanan at Karapatan ng Health Workers, serving as a significant platform for healthcare institutions and job seekers "to connect and foster opportunities for career advancement and professional growth."

DOH 7 CHD Assistant Regional Director Dr. Sophia M. Mancao believed that this opportunity was aimed at matching talent with job openings and draw attention to the shortage of hospital workers in the government.

Mancao added that it is about time to let the public know, especially healthcare workers who are seeking for work, that hospitals are faced with manpower shortage.

In a Bloomberg report published in May 2024, it revealed that the Philippines has a shortage of 190,000 healthcare workers due to massive brain drain wherein Filipino healthcare practitioners opted to work abroad for a brighter future. Three fourths of health workers leaving the county to find greener pastures overseas are nurses.

However, with the lack of medical practitioners and nurses in the government due to the fact that many have left to work abroad, Dr. Mancao still believes that the salary here is sufficient.

She further stated that the standard salary of P36,619 per month for Nurse 1 in the government is already substantial and sufficient, but whether it’s enough or not largely depends on the lifestyle of the worker.

Additionally, she admitted that they also lack Specialist Doctors because most of the younger generation of Doctors now prefer to be general practitioners. However, she is hopeful that this trend will still change.

Moreover, unlike other job fairs conducted by governmental departments, the DOH job fair does not have on-the-spot interviews and hiring.

The following are the top positions with their number of vacancies at the job fair: Medical Officer IV (69), Medical Officer III (57), Nurse II (24), Speech Therapist II (11), Nurse I (10), Nurse III (10), Nursing Attendant II (12), Medical Specialist II (8), Midwife I (3), and Medical Specialist III (3).

Aside from DOH 7 CHD, other healthcare facilities that participated in the job fair include the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Multi-Specialty Medical Center, Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital, St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center - Cebu City, and Treatment and Rehabilitation Center - Argao, Cebu. — Renee Ross Villariasa