By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)- 9 participated in the “Kabuhianan” (livelihood) Job Fair in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi recently.
Gay Iris T.S. Tangcalagan of DOLE-9 reported in a press release that the participation of DOLE-9 in the jobs fair was in response to the invitation of Tawi-Tawi Provincial Governor Nurbert M. Sahali.
Together with its family of agencies, namely, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)-9 and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) - IX headed to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi to render the necessary technical assistance in the conduct of the three-day job fair at Sand Bar Lepa Convention Center, Pasiagan, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, last February 17-19, 2014.
Tangcalagan said that a total of 1,414 registered applicants participated in this year’s job fair, dubbed as “Kabuhianan”, a local term which means livelihood. The event was so far considered as the biggest and the most successful job fair in the history of Tawi- Tawi.
The event was made possible by the presence of six overseas recruitment agencies with 8,034 vacancies for various skills, and 11 local agencies under the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), resulting to 428 applicants interviewed, of which 316 were deemed qualified and 60 Tawi-Tawians were hired on the spot (HOTS), marking a 14% HOTS.
The event also served as an avenue for discussion on the various programs and projects of DOLE and its family of agencies, specifically on the overseas employment process knowing that Tawi-Tawi is the backdoor channel to Sabah, Malaysia.
During an informal discussion with the local government of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, it was raised that a plan to conduct another job fair in the area was slated sometime in August or September of this year.