By Mariela Angella Oladive
A total of 128 job seekers were hired on the spot during the 123rd Labor Day Job Fair held May 1 at Robinsons Mall Iloilo, according to initial data from the Department of Labor and Employment Region 6 as of 2:30 p.m.
Among those hired was April Joy Dequiña, 36, a mother from Anilao and a 4Ps beneficiary, who joined a job fair for the first time.
Hired as a janitress, she said she hopes her new job will help support her farmer husband and fund her two children’s education.
DOLE-6 Regional Director Atty. Sixto “Popoy” Rodriguez Jr. expressed satisfaction with the turnout and encouraged employers to take full advantage of the fair to fill workforce gaps.
“This is a way of standing by our moral obligation to provide decent employment to our job seekers,” he said.
The event drew 106 local employers and five overseas recruitment agencies, offering more than 9,000 vacancies across various sectors.
A total of 2,120 job seekers pre-registered, while the number of walk-in applicants is still being finalized.
The fair also featured a One-Stop Shop where various government agencies—including TESDA, DOH, PNP, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, OWWA, PRC, PSA, OSHC, RTWPB, DMW, NBI, SSS, ECC, and NLRC—offered on-site assistance.
The PNP issued free police clearances to certified first-time job seekers endorsed by their barangay officials.
Two Department of Health mobile clinics were deployed to provide free medical services such as X-rays, urinalysis, and HIV/STD screening.
The Western Visayas Transport Cooperative also supported the event by offering free rides to job fair attendees.
As part of the celebration, DOLE-6 released PHP36.5 million in livelihood assistance to 1,422 beneficiaries from various sectors in Western Visayas.
Of the total, PHP11.3 million supported seven livelihood projects in Iloilo and Guimaras, benefiting 318 recipients.
Projects included fish and rice trading, sari-sari stores, dishwashing liquid production, and farm machinery services.
Simultaneous grant releases also took place in other provinces to extend DOLE’s reach to more communities.
Meanwhile, the Kadiwa ng Pangulo center set up at the mall’s food court allowed attendees to buy affordable goods and produce from 34 DA-, DTI-, and BFAR-assisted sellers, along with six DOLE-supported livelihood groups.
This year’s celebration carried the theme “Manggagawang Pilipino, Kaagapay sa Pag-unlad, Sandigan ng Mas Matatag na Bagong Pilipinas,” highlighting the vital role of Filipino workers in national development.
