ILOILO CITY (PIA) - - May 1 is a regular holiday across the country to celebrate Labor Day. This early, in Western Visayas, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 has already lined up various initiatives to engage the different sectors and to mark the significance of this year’s celebration that pays tribute to the Filipino workers.

What are these initiatives?

122nd Labor Day Regional Job Fair

Highlighting the 122nd Labor Day celebration in Western Visayas is the regional job fair. Unlike in the previous years, where this activity was held in the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod, this year, job fairs will be held simultaneously in the different venues in all six provinces of the region.

DOLE 6 Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr. said the holding of the job fair in different areas of the region is the thrust of the Department to provide equal opportunities and to bring the government services closer to the people especially the underserved, unserved and hard to reach sectors.

The designated venues of the job fairs in the 6 provinces are the following: AKLAN –  Northwestern Visayan Colleges Gym, Capitol Site, Estancia, Kalibo, Aklan; ANTIQUE – Robinsons Antique, National Highway Brgy. San Angel, San Jose, Antique; CAPIZ – Robinson’s Roxas, Pueblo de Panay, Roxas City, Capiz; GUIMARAS, Buenavista Gymnasium, Buenavista, Guimaras; ILOILO – Robinson’s Place, Ledesma St., Iloilo City; NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - SM CITY Bacolod, Rizal St, Reclamation Area, Bacolod City.

Over 10T job openings

More than 10,000 job opportunities, both local and abroad, are available during the Labor Day celebration Regional Job Fair as announced by DOLE 6 on April 16.

These job openings will be offered by school, hotel and restaurant, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and distribution sectors.

Other vacancies are from companies that offer financial intermediation, information and communication, transport, storage, and insurance services.

Jobseekers can now register through the online platform  https://bit.ly/ 2024LaborDay for the job fair.

Rodriguez underlined the importance to register for a faster and smooth flow of processing of the applications during the job fair. The registration will also enable the possible employers to have a look at the applicants’ qualifications.

Kadiwa ng Pangulo

Another significant activity that will be established during the celebration will be the Kadiwa ng Pangulo which will showcase or offer affordable goods and products of organizations and groups who have availed of the assistance and livelihood projects from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and DOLE.

“This is an opportunity for individuals, farmers associations or other groups provided with livelihood projects to display or sell their products directly to consumers without passing the middleman,” said Navarra.

Skills Demonstration/Learning Sessions

In partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 6, skills demonstrations will also be conducted in the venues. There will also be an awarding of TESDA training certificates.

The DOLE will also hold learning sessions for beneficiaries of livelihood projects from the government who are mostly from the informal sector. These sessions intend to train, orient and capacitate participants on how to properly manage or handle their livelihood projects and finances.

Other activities

The Labor Day celebration will also be an occasion for DOLE 6 to distribute checks to proponents whose livelihood projects were successfully approved and conduct pay-outs of wages and salaries to beneficiaries of its programs namely Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers and Special Program for Employment of Students.

Navarra invited the public to take advantage of the holiday by visiting the job fair sites and take part in their offerings for the celebration of the 122nd Labor Day guided by the theme “Sa Bagong Pilipinas: Manggagawang Pilipino, Kabalikat at Kasama sa Pag-asenso”. (AAL/LAF/PIA6-Iloilo)