MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment has declared that around 216,144 positions both locally and internationally will be available at government-organized job fairs set for May 1st.
As stated by DOLE, out of the total 181,933 job openings, most are intended for local employment, whereas 34,211 positions are designated for overseas jobs.
The National Capital Region tops all regions with the most job opportunities, providing over 63,000 positions. This is followed by Central Luzon which has around 32,000 job slots open, and Calabarzon trails closely behind with more than 18,000 employment spots available.
Applicants can seek jobs across multiple sectors such as manufacturing, retail, business process outsourcing, hospitality and food services, along with financial and insurance services.
The most prominent job openings include roles such as production operators, sales clerks, call center representatives, service crew members, and microfinance officers.
The Labor Secretary, Bienvenido Laguesma, mentioned that organizing job fairs across the country is one of the main features of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) events for this year’s Labor Day celebrations.
Applicants are advised to reach out to their closest public employment service office, as well as DOLE regional and field offices, or they can check the relevant websites and social media accounts of these entities for updates on job fair dates and venues.
Teachers want pay hike
In the meantime, beyond the initiatives aimed at generating job opportunities, demands for better remuneration in the educational field gained momentum as Labor Day approached.
On Tuesday, thousands of public school teachers and educational staff presented a petition to President Marcos requesting a significant raise in their salaries.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) mentioned that they collected signatures from numerous faculty clubs, associations, as well as tens of thousands of teachers and educational support staff members across the country.
In their plea, ACT emphasized that both public and private school teachers no longer get adequate pay in light of the increasing cost of living in the nation.
The collective emphasized that Filipino teachers have encountered significant monetary struggles because of rising costs of products, referring to the constitutional clause mandating a decent salary for employees.
“As such, we remain unified in advocating for a significant raise in wages for all educators and staff within the educational field, aiming to elevate our compensation to fair and adequate standards,” they stated.
The ACT group is advocating for a starting pay of ₱50,000 for educators and a lowest wage of ₱33,000 for those in educational support roles.
The petition, supported by more than 800 academic staff organizations, called upon the President to take actions aimed at empowering educators, bolstering the educational framework, and aiding in the nation’s progress.
“We sincerely hope for your authentic dedication to empower our educators, enhance our education system, and use it as a potent instrument for national progress. We eagerly await your positive reply,” the organization stated.
The previous week, ACT submitted a comparable appeal to the Department of Education, challenging the salary modifications outlined in Executive Order 64, which enforces the provisions of Salary Standardization Law VI.
— Neil Jayson Servallos