Thousands of jobseekers gathered at the Robinsons Galleria on Friday for a mega job fair organized by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to mark the 124th Philippine Labor Day.

The event featured more than 3,400 job openings provided by 12 licensed recruitment agencies. Officials reported that at least 2,000 applicants pre-registered for positions in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and several European nations, including Croatia, Slovakia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.

DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay said the annual event serves as a platform to connect Filipinos with legitimate, verified employment abroad.

“This job fair is where we really show our countrymen the legitimate job opportunities for different countries,” Rubia-Tutay said. “This really offers jobs that our Filipino workers can go to.”

The fair saw a significant number of applications from overseas Filipino workers recently repatriated from the Middle East. Rubia-Tutay noted that many of these workers returned due to rising tensions and safety concerns in that region over the past two months.

“Most of them are mentally unstable because of the fear that was created by the Middle East crisis,” she said, adding that the fair provides a chance for them to pivot to different markets.

Among those seeking a new start was Alejandro, a 38-year-old from Bulacan who worked as a customer service representative in the United Arab Emirates for 12 years. He was repatriated on 14 April due to the ongoing regional conflict.