Per 10 jobseekers, only three qualify

TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | Per 10 jobseekers, only three qualify

By: Uriel Quilinguing

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The outcome of this year’s Labor Day job fairs on May 1 revealed Northern Mindanao’s prevailing mismatch of skills that employers need and of the know-how that job applicants possess, a long-drawn challenge across this region.

In a forum earlier, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-10) Regional Director Joffrey Suyao announced six job fairs have been organized and these could open over 13 thousand work opportunities here and abroad for more than 2,000 jobseekers.

On Monday, May 4, the DOLE-10 disclosed that only 581 of the over 2,000 registered employment applicants were deemed qualified after their credentials vis-à-vis recruitment requirements were assessed.

Of the 581 qualified aspirants, 332 were listed as near-hires while 270 were hired-on-the-spot (HOTS). Near-hires were applicants whose employers require more document, written exam, and interview, according to Suyao.

The more than 13 thousand vacancies were posted by 173 local companies and 17 recruitment agencies for overseas deployment.

Representatives of the recruitment firms and agencies were present in the job fairs in this city (SM Downtown), Bukidnon (San Isidro College and Bukidnon State University), Lanao del Norte (Gaisano Mall Iligan and Cultural Gymnasium in Tubod), and Misamis Occidental (Bayfront Arena in Oroquieta).

Aside from first-time jobseekers, the over 2,000 applicants include those belonging to the underemployed category of workers, whose capacity to perform and earn have not been optimized. The figure also includes workers who have displaced due to conflict in the Middle East and those who were laid off by local employers.

For a week since April 27 until May 1, the DOLE-10, in coordination with local governments and congressional offices, had paid over P80.448 million to 9,101 beneficiaries of DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program. It is popularly known as TUPAD or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced Workers program that started in 2009.

TUPAD provides short-term emergency employment for displaced workers, lasting for 10 to 30 days, and those eligible do menial jobs such as tree planting, park and plaza gardening, street sweeping, and declogging of canals, among others. They received the prescribed the region’s daily minimum wage.

“We have received endorsements from the DMW (Department of Migrant Workers) which we referred to our provincial offices. If these repatriated overseas Filipino workers are willing to avail of our TUPAD, then we will look for funding,” Suyao concluded.

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