Marcos pushes for nationwide job fairs to boost employment

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is mulling over the possibility of conducting more job fairs in areas outside the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) to give more Filipinos a chance at employment and improve the country's overall employability.

This development came after Marcos graced Career Con, dubbed “Creating Connections You Seek,” at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Wednesday.

Marcos said the government is planning to replicate this Career Con, organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in partnership with the job-finding platform JobStreet.

He said such efforts would enhance employment opportunities for Filipinos, especially those in the provinces.

“Kaya’t ito medyo pilot project ito. Kung maganda ang maging resulta, ang plano talaga namin ay gagawa kami ng ganito bawat – ng isang ganito bawat buwan para mapuntahan (This is just a pilot project. If the result will be good, we plan to conduct this on a monthly basis),” he said.

Marcos said expanding Career Con to other areas “would mean job applicants would no longer need to come to Manila or Metro Manila to avail themselves of the services offered.”

“Pag nakita natin na marami tayong nailagay, naipuwesto sa magagandang trabaho— iyon nga ‘yung aking nabanggit na mga quality jobs —kapag nakita natin ipapagpatuloy po namin itong programang ito (If we see that we have given more Filipinos good jobs—those we mentioned quality jobs—then, we will continue this program),” he said.

Marcos touted the continuing decline in the number of unemployed Filipinos, adding that his government “will exhaust all measures to make the number even lower.”

“Pakaunti na lang nang pakaunti ang hindi empleyadong Pilipino ngunit hindi pa kami tapos doon (The number of unemployed Filipinos continues to decrease and we're not yet done with that),” he said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority previously reported that the number of jobless individuals aged 15 and above was at 1.66 million in November 2024, a decrease from 1.97 million in October 2024.

In an ambush interview during the event, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the job fair aims to help job seekers create résumés, especially first-time applicants.

The available jobs span different sectors, including information technology, tourism, hospitality, and overseas opportunities.

Laguesma also expressed hope that the job fair would assist those impacted by the POGO ban, particularly internet gambling licensees (IGLs), in securing new employment opportunities.

“Hopefully ma-qualify din ang ating IGL affected workers nang sa gayon eh makatransition sila smoothly sa bagong hanapbuhay (Hopefully, our IGL-affected workers will also qualify and this will help them transition smoothly to new jobs),” he said.

Organized by JobStreet in partnership with DOLE, the two-day Career Con aims to unite employers and job seekers.

The event serves as a platform to explore new opportunities, forge meaningful connections, and discuss the future of employment.

Organizers reported that approximately 18,000 job seekers, including fresh graduates and experienced professionals, registered for the event.

Participating employers included a diverse range of companies such as SM Retail, Acquire, Philip Morris, TeleTech, Techno Global Team, Flash Express, Cardinal Health, Accenture, Nestlé, Meralco, Petron, Metrobank, JPMorgan Chase, and Federal Land.