Manila to hold Labor Day Job Fair

By Paulina Icban, Diane Sarmiento, Ayanna Zoleta

April 26, 2023

Photo sourced from Manila Public Information Office

The Manila local government will host its “Mega Job Manila Labor Day” on Labor Day, May 1. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan said the mega job fair will be held at the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Sino-sino ba ang ating tinatanggap? High school graduates, college graduates, college undergrads, technical and vocational courses or graduates,” she said in her capital report.

She reminded job seekers to wear casual attire for comfort, be at the area 30 minutes before the start, and bring at least 10 copies of their resume.

“Ang nabigyan na po natin ng trabaho through our PESO ay 6,573,” Lacuna said, with around 1,500 job seekers hired on the spot. Aside from these, 43 senior citizens and 31 students were hired by the city’s private partners.

The Public Employment Service Office (PESO) is a multi-service, non-fee-charging employment facility that is established by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in coordination with all Local Government Units (LGUs).

Some of the programs implemented by PESO are the Special Program for the Employment of Students, which prioritizes youth by providing them temporary employment, and PhilJobNet, which is an automated job and applicant matching system that is aimed at faster job searching.

PESO caters to job seekers, employers, students, PWDs, senior citizens, etc. by providing employment information services and recruitment assistance to employers.

Prior to Mega Job Fair: Manila Labor Day, job fairs have also been conducted throughout March and April this year: Mega Job Fair (March 24), PESO job fair (March 22 and 29), and Trabado: Hanap Trabaho Tuwing Sabado (April 15 and 22).

A total of 195 job seekers were hired on the spot during the previous Mega Job Fair and the PESO Job Fair held last March.

Job fairs are not only being held by the local government but by colleges and universities in the city as well.

Colleges around the metro are also bound to send off fresh graduates straight to the workforce of the country. Job fairs and career fairs at these universities have become a melting pot for job seekers who are both new and experienced in the market.

Career fairs and graduate training spearheaded by various universities also served as a starting line for both undergraduates and fresh graduates who are still uncertain about which field they are going to partake in.

The University of the Philippines’ Career Assistance Program (UPCAP) held its career fair last March 13-17, featuring a diverse roster of companies in different fields of marketing, social service, finance, and many more. UPCAP featured speakers from notable corporations and organizations. On March 22, Ateneo De

Manila University’s Development Society also organized a career and internship fair focused on the social development sector.

AIESECPHL, a youth-run organization, is also currently organizing a three-day training for graduates and undergraduates centered on corporate briefing and pathfinding. Odyssey: Training for Graduates by AIESECPHL is being spearheaded by Thomasian Aylmer Dayrit, their project head.