OLONGAPO CITY – Around 671 jobseekers were reported “near-hires” at the recently-concluded Labor Day Job and Business Fair held at the Ayala Harbor Point Mall, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Initial reports from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Zambales Field Office show that around 2,023 jobseekers participated in the said job and business fair.
Meanwhile, around 68 local companies and 8 POEA-accredited overseas private recruitment agencies offered job vacancies for 2,645 local and 1,128 overseas employment, respectively.
DOLE Zambales Field Office head Reynante Lugtu said that the near-hires will be closely monitored to see if they succeed in securing jobs they applied for.
“Near-hires are applicants who were considered to be hired but still need to submit additional or lacking requirements, or may need to attend further interviews or tests/exam,” Lugtu explained, adding:
“We will be having a month-long monitoring of our “near-hires” as well as those subjected for further interview from reports submitted by our job and business fair employer-participants and we are hopeful that these applicants would eventually be hired.”
The 671 reported near-hires are part of the 8,713 total reported near-hires of the region-wide Labor Day Job and Business Fairs held last May 1.
Lugtu noted that the job and business fair adopted the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Concept forged by the DOLE and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“The TNK concept aims to achieve full employment and creation of jobs in Key Employment Generators (KEGs) specifically in the manufacturing, agri-business, construction, tourism, IT-BPM, transportation and logistics, and retail and trade,” Lugtu explained, adding:
“The job and business fairs are expected to increase rate in applicants hired in KEGS during the job fairs, apprise and advocate job seekers to consider entrepreneurial and business opportunities, and build strong partnerships among concerned agencies such as the DOLE, DTI, local government units, and stakeholders from the private sector.”
For near-hire Jeannete Abude, a 36-year old solo parent hailing from Barangay Sta. Rita, Olongapo City, participating in the job and business fair was a “breeze.”
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa pagkakaroon ng job at business fair na ganito ditto sa amin dahil mas pinagaan nila ang paghahanap ng trabaho para sa aming mga aplikante. Bilang isa sa mga nasama po sa mga near-hires, umaasa po ako na, sana, sa darating na mga araw, ay matanggap po ako sa trabahong inaplayan ko po,” Abude said.
The DOLE Zambales Field Office partnered with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Labor Department, Olongapo City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), and Ayala Harbor Point Mall in this event.
Partner agencies such as the DTI, Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth, Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) were also present to provide assistance to jobseekers.
The SBMA, for their part, also facilitated a 3k Fun Run, Float Parade, Sing and Dance Competition, and Beauty Pageant exclusively for Subic Bay Freeport Workers.
The Labor Day festivities in Zambales province is anchored on the theme “Matatag na kabuhayan at Trabaho, Tungo sa Progresibong Pagbabago.”
— MHIKE CIGARAL