CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – A total of 21 job seekers were hired on the spot during the Labor Day Job Fair held at SM City Pampanga, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The event offered more than 4,000 job vacancies for local and overseas employment, part of the 200,000 opportunities opened nationwide and 30,000 slots in Central Luzon. Aside from the immediate hires, many other applicants were considered qualified and are now pending for final evaluation.

DOLE Region 3 Regional Director Geraldine M. Panlilio, CESO IV, said the government is determined to provide more jobs to Filipinos, especially amid the ongoing crisis.

"The government, through DOLE, Local Government Units, and the different agencies na gustong magsilbi para sa manggagawa ay hindi po titigil hangga't hindi po nabibigay ang karampatang serbisyo para sa inyo," Panlilio said.

She also encouraged the newly hired and those pending applicants to be confident.

"Prove to your employers that you're worth hiring. So work hard. Kami sa gobyerno ay patuloy na aagapay sa inyo," she added.

Aside from job matching, the government also released P912,000 in cash incentives to 160 TUPAD beneficiaries and awarded P1.27 million worth of livelihood kits to 105 recipients, including Persons Deprived of Liberty.

Several individuals and partners were also recognized for their excellence under programs like SPES, GIP, and JobStart.

In a testament to the program's effectiveness, Khaye R. Labis, a former JobStart beneficiary, was also hired on the spot as a Merchandiser for San Miguel Merchandising.

Labis, who previously worked as a tour guide affected by the energy crisis, said the new job will be a big help for her family amid rising prices of commodities.

"Since mataas na po yung mga bilihin ngayon, makakatulong po ito sa pagtulong ko sa family ko ngayon na need din po ng assistance," she said.

The event also featured vendors under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo and free services from various government agencies including NBI, SSS, PhilHealth, DTI, PNP, and others.