A total of 7,983 job vacancies or nearly 5,000 less than last year await job seekers in Davao Region in the 2019 Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan Job and Business Fair on May 1 to 2 at the Gaisano Mall of Davao.
The job fair, a collaboration between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) XI and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11, is one of the highlights of this year’s National Labor Day which will be marked with the theme–“Pagpupugay sa Manggagawang Pilipino.”
This was bared by DOLE XI office-in-charge assistant regional director Jason Balais during the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Signing with partners and press conference held on Monday, April 22 at the 4th floor AMQ Building in Agdao, Dacudao Ave.
Balais said the jobs market will be composed of 4,682 overseas and 3,301 local job vacancies.
Compared to last year’s 12,536 job vacancies, this year’s job fair has decreased by almost 5,000 job vacancies as DOLE XI limited the maximum participating employers from from 87 to 70 considering the capacity of the venue.
“Given the influx of applicant in the interview area, it would be very difficult because it will be too many employers and queues will be long among other considerations,” he said.
Balais, however, said construction jobs, mostly for mason and carpenters, consistently have the largest number of vacancies generated from the last three years give the influx of foreign investors in the construction business.
“During the last three years, it has always been the trend. The vacancies that we have generated are mostly from the construction industry and to a large extent influenced by the “Build, Build, Build Program” of the Duterte administration,” Balais said.
On the overseas side, nurses, cleaners and teachers are the top three vacant job among others.
Balais, meanwhile, shared that the employment rate of Davao Region is 95.5 percent as far as the member of the DOLE XI is concerned.
“Meaning to say 4.5 percent lang ang walay trabaho. It is high and it has been consistently in that level,” he said.
Further, Balais said this year’s 7,983 job vacancies will actually match the number of graduates that the Commission on Higher Education Department (CHED) XI has produced in March.
“It is one is to one. For every graduate there is a job vacancy. But we are only talking about 70 employers here, what if we invited all employers in Davao City which we cannot do kay wala man tay ana ka dako pero kung atong tanawon jobs are really available,” he said.
Apart from jobs vacancies provided by DOLE XI, DTI XI will also conduct trainings and business consultations simultaneously on the same day.
“So we are not just looking at the job seekers but also with the business aspirants and to walk-in people who wished to stand their own businesses,” said DTI XI SME development division chief Marie Anne How.
She announced that on May 1, they will conduct training on green economy practices that falls in the morning followed by flower arrangement training in the afternoon.
The following day, How said they will hold a social media marketing training since social media knowledge is efficient for businesses nowadays.
How also said that they will have a Presyo Descuento Caravan that will mark discounts to basic commodities available in Gaisano Mall of Davao.
For her part, Gaisano Mall of Davao Human Resource officer Janet Piyaw said she cannot disclose as yet how much the discount will be on consumer goods.
Meanwhile, Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Davao City manager Lilibeth Pantinople, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) head Ma. Carolina Agdamag, Interface Computer College school administrator Marvin Tejol, Bigjay Lagang of Philippine Television News and Chrislen Bulosan of ABS CBN presided over the MOA signing.
