JOB FAIR. Iloilo City government will make available 16,000 vacancies on Aug. 25 and 26 job fair as part of its Charter Day celebration. Gabriel Felix Umadhay, Public Employment Services Office (PESO) manager of Iloilo City, in an interview on Wednesday (Aug. 23) urges interested job seekers to bring as many comprehensive resumes and bio-data during the event. (PNA photo courtesy of PESO Iloilo City FB page)
ILOILO CITY – Some 16,000 vacancies made available by 130 participating firms await qualified applicants during the two-day job fair organized by the city government and partner agencies to mark Iloilo City’s 86th Charter Day celebration on Aug. 25-26.
“This is our biggest job fair on Aug. 25 and 26; we have a total of 16,000 jobs available for our Ilonggo takers. With the 16,000 jobs, we have 130 business companies offering both overseas and local jobs,” said Gabriel Felix Umadhay, Public Employment Services Office (PESO) manager of Iloilo City, in an interview on Wednesday.
The top three in-demand posts include health care, construction and information technology (IT) providers.
There are also job openings for sales clerks, sales and marketing and from small manufacturing, he said.
The first day of the activity on Aug. 25 at the fountain area of the Robinsons Place Iloilo will be in tandem with the National TechVoc (technical-vocational) Day of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to mark its 29th anniversary.
Umadhay said TESDA will offer free scholarships for training in bartending, housekeeping and food service.
“TESDA will have a desk to assist those asking for skills training. TESDA will also bring its affiliate schools so they would know the available training centers here,” he said.
In a separate interview, TESDA Iloilo Director Esther B. Babalo said they are optimistic, particularly for their technical and vocational graduates, because they will involve their training schools.
“We are optimistic because we are trying to involve our schools, we are inviting the community training and education coordinators of LGUs (local government units) to inform their constituents,” she said.
Meantime, the second day of the job fair will be at SM City Iloilo.
Umadhay said they decided to hold the job fair on a Saturday to cater to those who could not make it on Aug. 25 but are interested in looking for jobs, especially for overseas placement.
In the two-day event, they hope to have hired-on-the-spot (HOTS) or for further interviews with at least 60 percent of their job applicants.
“Usually HOTS comprise 10 to 20 percent and the rest for further interview. We understand because usually, the HOTS are entry-level positions while further interviews are those for higher level posts,” he said.
Applicants can bring as many comprehensive resumes and bio-data as they can.
They can also avail of the free photocopies of the city government available at the venue. (PNA)
