ZAMBOANGA CITY, May 2, 2022 – Elvie Soriano of Tumaga Porcentro happily posed for the camera holding the “I am HOTS” (Hired-on-the-Spot) sign after her successful interview with a local hospital.

Elvie is one of the 29 applicants who were hired on the spot in the 120th Labor Day Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan Job and Business Fair held yesterday at the KCC Mall de Zamboanga East Wing Activity Center, Zamboanga City.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9 Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe shared that the job fair registered 1,880 applicants via the virtual job fair portal.

“Out of these registrants, 425 took their time to be interviewed by participating employers. Aside from the 29 HOTS, we are closely monitoring the 47 near-hires as well. As soon as they submit lacking documents and undergo further interviews with the employers, they shall be considered hired,” he said.

Applicants who dropped their resumes in the drop boxes provided during the job fair will be interviewed separately via phone call or video call. Atty. Buenafe said that the number of hired applicants may increase over the course of the week when employers update their job placement reports.

“Helpful po ang job fair sa mga kagaya namin na naghahanap ng work. At the same time mas ok pala pag job fair kasi pag sa office nila, mas nakakakaba while pag sa job fair mas ok siya kasi nakikita mo na madami kayo. (The job fair is helpful to those of us looking for work. At the same time, it’s better to apply in the job fair because it makes me less anxious seeing other applicants there with me),” Eldie said of her job fair experience.

Apart from the employment opportunities, 214 workers and job seekers alike were given the opportunity to avail the services in a One Stop Shop with the following government agencies: National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth, Pag-Ibig Fund, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Employees Compensation Commission (ECC), Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost), Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA),, National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB).

DOLE 9’s Nursing Service Unit partnered with Zamboanga City Health Office to administer 123 doses of COVID-19 booster shots to walk-in workers and job seekers.

TESDA 9 also reported a total of 73 participants to the Skills Demonstration where they discussed techniques on cake decorating and automotive troubleshooting. Free services such as haircuts, nail care and massages were offered to workers for free. Meanwhile, DTI conducted learning sessions to 47 participants in their Business Counseling and Advisory program.

Other highlights include the Talentadong Obrero Competition where 7 individuals and 9 groups of workers from private companies competed in a talent showdown to win trophies and cash prizes. END