Hundreds of Filipinos trooped to Rizal Park on Sunday as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held a job fair to to mark the Philippines’ 113th Independence Day.
“A hundred and thirteen years ago, nakamit natin ang political freedom. Patuloy pa rin tayo sa ating pakikipaglaban na umangat ang ating ekonomiya at mabawasan ang bilang ng mga mahihirap," acting Labor Secretary Danilo Cruz said in an interview with GMA News TV’s Balitanghali newscast.
This page requires a higher version browser
With the theme “Kalayaan: Paninindigan ng Bayan," the job fair offers at least 24,000 job opportunities in time for observance of the Philippines’ 113th Independence Day on Sunday.
“The celebration of the nation’s independence is also a timely occasion for the DOLE to unchain the jobless from the shackles of unemployment," Cruz said in another statement Friday afternoon.
The DOLE expects around 8,000 jobseekers to flock to the event.
Jobseekers continue to face problems such as job mismatches, when the jobs they seek do not match the market’s needs, said Ernie Cecilia, former president of the People Management Association of the Philippines, in an interview with GMA News TV’s public service program “On Call."
“Dapat alamin kung anong competencies ang kailangan, at ‘yun ang pag-aralan. Dapat tuluy-tuloy ang pag-aaral, kahit ikaw ay may trabaho na, tuloy pa rin ang aral, training, at development, upang makasunod sa takbo ng merkado ngayon," Cecilia added.
The number of unemployed Filipinos rose by around 27.2 percent in March, to around 11.3 million from 9.9 million in November 2010, according to a survey by the Social Weather Stations last month. — Paterno Esmaquel II/LB
