OROQUIETA City, Misamis Occidental — For 51 jobseekers, the search for work ended with a job offer at the Inug-og Festival job fair, where hundreds of applicants lined up for available positions on Oct. 20.
The Trabaho Agad Inug-og Festival Job Fair and One-Stop Shop at Bayfront Arena drew 341 applicants competing for 444 vacancies offered by 24 local businesses and three overseas recruitment agencies.
The event, organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10 through its Misamis Occidental Provincial Field Office and the Oroquieta City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), brought employers and applicants together in one venue.
DOLE Misamis Occidental Officer-in-Charge Provincial Head Jasmin L. Vicente said job fairs help applicants save time and money by reducing the need to travel from one company to another to submit applications.
“By bringing dozens of verified employers under one roof, we significantly reduce the time, travel costs, and application expenses for jobseekers who are ready to enter the workforce,” Vicente said.
The one-stop shop also offered assistance with pre-employment clearances and other government requirements, allowing applicants to process documents without having to visit several offices.
From online announcement to job offer
Among those hired was 24-year-old Don A. Ta-an of Barangay Talairon, Oroquieta City, who found out about the job fair through PESO Oroquieta City’s Facebook page.
He was hired as a promodiser by Metro Central Mall Development Inc.
“Despite the long lines and the exhausting wait for interviews, I refused to give up,” Ta-an said.
He said he did not expect to leave the venue employed after seeing the announcement online.
“This program makes the grueling job hunt so much easier for ordinary citizens,” he said.
Another successful applicant was 22-year-old Marc Paul L. Villanueva of Barangay Palayan, Aloran, who landed a service crew position at Jolly Management Solutions.
As the eldest of three siblings, Villanueva said the job would help him contribute to his family’s needs.
“This event became an instant turning point for me,” he said, adding that the job fair allowed applicants to approach several employers in one place.
He encouraged other jobseekers to remain determined while looking for work.
More vacancies than hires
The fair offered 444 positions, but only 51 applicants were hired on the spot.
The event drew 341 jobseekers, leaving questions about how many applicants were still undergoing screening, awaiting further interviews or unable to secure a match for the available positions.
DOLE described the job fair as part of its employment facilitation efforts to bring job opportunities closer to communities and connect qualified applicants with employers.
For jobseekers, the event provided a chance to avoid some of the costs and delays of applying to companies individually.
The number of immediate hires, however, also shows that access to vacancies does not always translate into employment for every applicant. (With reports from Jasper Marie O. Rucat/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)
