MANILA — Hundreds of Filipinos on Thursday sought opportunities abroad in the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) Labor Day job fair, just as the agency warned the public of illegal recruiters that aim to exploit Filipino workers.
Some 3,000 job seekers pre-registered with the DMW but hundreds more walked in carrying their resumes and other requirements.
One of the job seekers was 26-year-old Lorraine Flores, who aspires to work for a cruise line.
Flores mentioned that she got ready for the job fair by putting on a blazer and having printed copies of her resume, though she acknowledged lacking any official experience in the service industry.
She said she worked as a call center agent for the past 3 years, but she resigned weeks earlier, hoping she could find a job overseas.
“Only considering cruising because I also want to travel abroad and help my family, of course,” she explained.
“Anything will do… Nakita ko lang ito sa Facebook. Hindi talaga ako masyado prepared,” she added.
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A twenty-one-year-old named Janli Martillano, who has completed her senior high school, dreams of finding employment in either Japan or Korea.
Martillano mentioned that he had previously been employed at a fast food restaurant and planned to leverage this background to benefit him in potential ventures into agriculture, metalwork, or mixology.
“I am trying to apply for a job to help my father because he’s the only one providing for us now. I don’t have a mother anymore,” he explained.
Ronnel Baleno, aged 34, expressed his desire to seek employment abroad once more since job prospects remain stagnant in the Philippines.
Baleno said he previously worked in Taiwan for 8 years as a factory worker.
“Sana ma-hire kailangan na rin ng pera kasi… Mahirap trabaho dito sa Pinas, mahina ang kita,” he said. “Mahirap buhay dito, mahal ang bilihin, maliit ang sahod.”
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said in-demand jobs for Filipinos include those in the health care, services, and manufacturing sectors.
The job fair also guarantees that Filipinos won’t be tricked by unlawful recruitment agencies.
DMW announced that 4,700 job openings are available for Filipinos through 11 authorized recruitment firms providing both land-based and sea-based positions in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Taiwan, United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The job fair will remain open till 4 p.m. Individuals unable to arrive by the deadline can still submit their applications and required documents directly to the recruitment agency.
With elections and Labor Day approaching, employees demand higher wages and worker-friendly policies.