MANILA, Philippines – At this point, the nation’s secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and universities should be deeply involved in organizing their commencement exercises.
Based on the preference of the educational institution’s leadership, graduating students might walk in their school uniforms, the conventional toga, or the sablay—a lengthy sashed garment typically made of woven material featuring designs or motifs that slants over the body—following a custom largely promoted by the University of the Philippines.
In front of their proud and beaming parents, millions of Filipinos will receive certification verifying they have successfully completed the necessary standards for secondary or tertiary education.
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It serves as a tradition that Filipino families with school-aged kids eagerly anticipate with enthusiasm and great expectations.
To them, the diploma represents years of effort put into ensuring their children received an education, so they believe it deserves to be placed in a noticeable spot in the home, nicely framed and showcased.
Due to financial constraints, certain high school graduates might need to postpone their entry into college and look for jobs in companies that do not emphasize academic qualifications, provided they are ready to put in substantial effort.
Regarding college graduates, except those who can afford to relax for a few weeks due to family support, once the excitement of graduating fades, it will be necessary to start seeking employment that aligns with their four-or five-year university degrees.
People who manage to secure employment aligned with their degrees should feel grateful. Those less fortunate individuals who must help support their families or cover personal expenses often end up taking jobs beneath their aspirations.
The challenging job market in the Philippines is poised to meet the fresh graduates.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, around 2.3 million individuals aged 15 and over were without jobs in July of last year.
Out of the 47.70 million working Filipinos, about 5.8 million are considered underemployed. This means they either want more hours at their current jobs, seek extra employment, or prefer a new position with extended working hours.
They’re clinging to these jobs since they’re preferable to having nothing at all, yet they remain vigilant for other job openings with superior benefits.
A number of HR experts suggest that this situation stems from a misalignment or inconsistency between the educational programs provided by schools and the real requirements of the job market in the Philippines.
Remember how IT gained popularity in the 1990s? During this time, many short-term or non-degree programs related to IT sprang up. This led to a huge number of IT professionals graduating but unable to find jobs due to lack of positions available.
In this situation, one cannot blame recent additions to the nation’s labor force for choosing to look for jobs overseas, and social media, which has been an integral part of their lives since childhood, presents an excellent avenue for doing so.
Even though newspapers still list job openings, these advertisements fail to attract as much notice as those published on websites, apps, and other online platforms that feature texts, videos, and images appealing to younger audiences.
These take advantage of their innocence and eagerness to encounter novel or thrilling experiences in their everyday routines.
It was through this program promising substantial financial gains that countless Filipinos were deceived into participating in unlawful online operations in nearby nations. The authorities had to intervene and save them from these nightmarish workplaces.
Despite repeated warnings from the government about online job scams, many Filipinos still get tricked into these schemes, likely due to their desperate situation regarding unemployment in the nation.
Fingers crossed, the fresh grads won’t end up in the same predicament when looking for employment. INQ
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