1.3T jobseekers try luck at fair

Diempon Hazel Mandabon, 20, was eager to find a job after graduating from college last March.

In her best outfit and carrying brown envelope containing her resume and application letter, Mandabon, a communications graduate of the University of San Jose-Recoletos, tried her luck at the local and overseas jobs fair organized by the Cebu City Government at the Cebu City Sports Center yesterday.

She was one of 1,368 jobseekers looking for employment at the jobs fair.

Mandabon said she plans to apply as a customer service representative for a local mall chain in Cebu. But she also has other options should she get unlucky.

“Nangaplay ko og at least lima ka companies ron kon dili gyod maswertehan (I sent applications to five companies just to be sure),” Mandabon said.

Miriam Lamosa, 33, also attended the job fair. But unlike Mandabon, her target is a job abroad.

A registered nurse, Lamosa told SunStar Cebu that she went to the job fair after learning there are offers for nursing jobs outside the country.

“This is now my chance to work abroad, with God’s help,” Lamosa said.

Fidel Magno, head of the Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP) of the Cebu City Government, said the jobs fair was part of the City’s activities for this year’s 119th Independence Day celebration.

A total of 62 local and 17 international employers joined the jobs fair, with 3,818 local and 8,427 overseas job vacancies being offered, Magno said. As of noon yesterday, 20 jobseekers had been hired on the spot, Magno said.

Aside from the jobs fair, jobseekers were offered free business counseling and seminars on how to register their business through the Negosyo Center of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7.

Asteria Caberte, DTI 7 director, said they gave free business advice and held registration and processing for small and medium enterprises./