Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said the job fairs are in pursuit of the department’s mandate to promote employment and the government’s commitment to boost year-round job opportunities.

Sto. Tomas said that the DOLE has started to conduct several series of job fairs in Metro Manila and other regions in the country.

"The job fairs are part of our intensive efforts this year to provide employment generation", Sto. Tomas said.

Sto. Tomas said DOLE regional offices have conducted job fairs in cooperation with local government units, non-government organizations and Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) on different schedules. The job fairs offer other qualified job seekers with local and overseas job opprtunities, the labor chief said.

DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) headed by Director Elena Calingasan said that some 3,813 jobseekers were hired on the spot and 5,343 in local and overseas jobs nationwide job fairs supervised by various DOLE regional offices from January to April, this year.

The BLE said more job fairs scheduled for the rest of the year will be announced as the regional offices firm up their specific dates and venues. Re-scheduling and postponements will be disseminated to job-seekers and public thru publication.

Calingasan advised job fair applicants to bring six pieces of passport size photos and photocopies of the following: resume/biodata, certificate of employment, high school/college diploma, valid Professional Regulation Commission card, board rating, board license or training certificate (if applicable), passport for overseas applicants, Office of the Muslim Affairs (OMA) certificate for Muslim job applicants and birth certificate.

Calingasan said applicants must present the original copy of the required documents during the interview by the employer.