Thousands of applicants trooped to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum in Pasay City yesterday for the opening of the three-day Manila leg of the TJF.

Presiding over the opening ceremonies were President Arroyo, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, and other leaders in the travel and tourism industry.

A project of the Department of Tourism (DoT), the job fair is a one-stop shop venue where employers and suppliers of tourism jobs and the potential labor force from all over the country can meet, assess each other’s needs, and create an employment match.

Durano said that in Manila alone, there are 18,283 job vacancies for upper to middle-management positions offered by 141 top corporations and multinational companies in the country.

The Tourism Jobs Fair in Cebu and Davao which opened simultaneously last April 4 and ended April 5 and 6 respectively, offered some 7,466 job vacancies in Davao and 8,391 in Cebu by 180 companies.

The total number of applicants for both online and on-site or walk-in jobseekers is expected to reach a hundred thousand by the end of Tourism Job Fair series, according to DoT TJF Overall Director and Team Japan head Rosvi Gaetos.

"The fair will highlight the start of the industry’s year-round job creation, hiring, and training in response to President Arroyo’s 10-point agenda that includes the creation of six to 10 million jobs as a government priority," Durano said.

The TJF also establishes the country’s first computerized jobs databank for vacancy postings from employers and applications from jobseekers.

"This databank will enable students to see what kind of jobs are available even before they graduate so it will encourage them to become more employable. We hope with this system, we can be able to attract the best and the brightest in the industry," Durano said.

Meanwhile, President Arroyo yesterday advised graduates to refrain from being too finicky when applying for jobs.

The President said jobseekers should be ready to accept the jobs available in the market, look for work where they best qualify, and be prepared to start at the bottom of the company ladder.

"Be willing to start at the bottom because many of these jobs are well-paying even at the bottom. Be willing to show how good you are when you are already on the job," she said at the first Tourism Jobs Fair by the DoT at the PICC.

"There are many jobs available and it is important for you to be willing to accept these jobs available," she added.

If one is not qualified for the job criteria, the President urged job applicants to seek technical skills training, preferably at the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA).