The Department of Labor and Employment – Cordillera Administrative Region (DOLE-CAR) recently held the culmination of the 121st Labor Day Celebration at the Baguio Convention Center and the SM City Baguio, offering thousands of local job vacancies, the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo Para sa Manggagawa“, and the awarding of government services to various program beneficiaries.
A brief opening ceremony was held at the Baguio Convention Center which included a welcome message from Baguio City Vice Mayor Atty. Faustino A. Olowan and the nationwide speech from DOLE Secretary Atty. Bienvenido E. Laguesma, CESO I. This was followed by the ceremonial sounding of gongs by DOLE-CAR Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra, CESO III with vice mayor Olowan, signaling the formal opening of the Jobs Fair at the Baguio Convention Center.
The jobs fair produced more than five thousand local job vacancies in industries ranging from IT-BPOs, to tourism, and administrative positions. Of the fifty-three (53) participating employers, twenty-eight (28) are from the tenant-concessionaires of the SM City Baguio, featuring various retail and customer service-related vacancies.
One of the major pulls was the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Para sa Mangagawa, hosted by DOLE-CAR in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture (DA), which enables the farming communities to sell quality goods directly at an affordable price to consumers without trader-intermediaries.
Seventeen businesses with thirty-four sellers showcased their agricultural products, processed goods, and various food items from April 27 to 30, at the Ibaloi Heritage Garden, Burnham Park, Baguio City, and at the Baguio Convention Center on May 1.
The week-long event highlights the forty-one hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) applicants who will start their careers with their respective employers. HOTS are eligible applicants who meet all the minimum documentary and skill requirements of the vacancy they applied for.
Of the 846 registered jobseekers, the jobs fair resulted in 611 qualified applicants with 348 females, who meet the minimum prerequisite of the job vacancies posted by employers. The event also had 106 near-hired jobseekers or those who are considered hired but need to submit additional requirements by the employers.
102 of the jobseekers were referred to the TESDA for skills enhancement, 10 for livelihood assistance, 9 for entrepreneurship opportunities, and another 163 were referred to other participating agencies for appropriate assistance.
For the Kadiwa, it was able to net Php 193,362.00 from the sale of its various agricultural products, household items, and other dry goods from its two venues in Baguio City.
Government assistance programs includes payout of more than Php 1M for 201 TUPAD beneficiaries from Baguio and La Trinidad, and furthermore was the symbolic awarding of checks for the implementation of TUPAD for more than 25,00o workers.
Similarly, 9 GIPs were provided received their wages, while 25 TESDA scholars acquired their allowances and kits.
Group and individual livelihood projects were also awarded with their initial goods, tools, and equipments, amounting to Php 4,206,484.00
Regional Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra, CESO III, expressed his elation over the results of the 121st Labor Day Celebration Jobs Fair and Kadiwa ng Pangulo para sa Mangagawa.
end//Daryll B. Ponard with initial reports from LEO III Thimothy Isaac L. Zamora
LEO III – LIO Designate
Edit by Kezialeya Costales
TUPAD Coordinator