Eleven job seekers were hired on the spot at the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) job fair held in celebration of the 127th Philippine Independence Day.

Among those hired was Early Joy De San Jose, 32, a first-time overseas job applicant and first-time participant in a job fair. De San Jose said her decision to work abroad was driven by her desire to support her senior citizen parents.

“Both of them are already senior citizens, so now it’s my turn to support them because they also need money for their medicines,” she said.

Although De San Jose currently works as a call center agent earning a relatively decent salary, she said it’s no longer enough due to the rising cost of living.

She will soon work as a female cleaner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), along with 10 other applicants who were also hired on the spot.

While the job is a major shift from her current work in the BPO industry, she said she is determined to pursue it, viewing it as a stepping stone toward her long-term dream of working in Germany.

“I’m a bit nervous, that’s normal. But even here, the salary is very low, so I’ll take this opportunity first… I’ll work, save money, and then aim for my real goal,” De San Jose said.

She and the other applicants were hired under one of the participating licensed recruitment agencies, East West Placement Center. According to Carter Marquez, technical evaluator at East West, they accept applicants for the cleaner position with or without experience, provided they meet the employer’s physical requirements: a minimum height of 4’11” and a maximum weight of 75 kilograms.

“That’s the employer’s requirement. Since you’ll be doing physical tasks, you need to be fit. It wouldn’t make sense to accept someone well beyond that range — they might have difficulty moving,” Marquez explained.

In addition to opportunities in Saudi Arabia, the job fair offered a total of 3,630 job orders for destinations including the United States, Japan, Poland, Austria, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Macau, the British Virgin Islands, Guam, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Papua New Guinea.

According to DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac, more than 50 percent of job fair attendees in the past are usually asked to return for further interviews or to submit additional requirements.

“That’s what we’re holding on to, that more than 50 percent of today’s applicants will be given another chance, either for further interviews or to complete their requirements,” he said.

The DMW has also scheduled another job fair specifically for seafarers on 26 June.