The Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office 9 (DOLE9) in collaboration with its attached agencies, Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (RTIPC), and the Local Government of Zamboanga successfully conducted the 116th celebration of Labor Day at the Zamboanga Economic Zone & Freeport Authority on May 1, 2018.

DOLE9 Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo disclosed that thousands of jobseekers, workers and their families participated in the said celebration with the theme "Pagpupugay sa Manggagawang Pilipino: Dangal ng Lahi, Kabalikat sa Progresibong Pagbabago".

For the first time, the Keynote Speaker for the said celebration hailed from the Philippines' pool of most celebrated athletes - Ms. Hidilyn F. Diaz, the Zamboangue?a Weightlifting Champ who won silver medal in the women's 53-kg weight division in the 2016 Summer Olympics, ending the Philippines' 20-year Olympic medal drought In her message she recounted her struggles as a worker and how her experience and perseverance propelled her to where she is now.

Representatives from the Management and Labor Sector also gave their inspirational messages. Mr. Pedro Rufo Soliven of the Zamboanga City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Incorporated emphasized the importance of employees' attitude towards work especially that they play a significant role in the dynamics of a business work environment. On the other hand, Mr. Jose J. Suan of the Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union - Trade Union Congress of The Phils (PIILU-TUCP)was pleased with the industrial peace enjoyed by Zamboanga Peninsula.

DOLE9 staged the Jobs Fair in two (2) locations which were both convenient and accessible to a total of 2,797 jobseekers. The Job Fairs at Zamboanga ECOZONE and KCC Mall de Zamboanga offered 23,388 vacancies for both local (5,077) and overseas (18,311) employment.

Out of the registered jobseekers, 2,377 were reported as qualified. The fairs also recorded a total of 2,825 interviews with the employers. This year's number of qualified and interviewed jobseekers is higher compared to 2017 which can be attributed to the use of the online pre-registration through www.dole9.org.

Region 9 surpassed the target for HOTS this year with an outstanding 26% which translated to 637 hired-on-the-spot applicants.

Meanwhile, 193 soon to be employed applicants dubbed as near-hires will only need to undergo further interview and submit lacking documents to be gainfully employed in their chosen field of work.

While most applicants chose to be gainfully employed, around 568 of them were referred to TESDA for Skills Training to further equip them with skills needed to land a suitable job or livelihood. 156 jobseekers who were deemed fit for livelihood were referred or livelihood assistance and another 130 to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for business opportunities.

Aside from the job fairs, other activities were also held that day to mark the occasion: Motorcade, Career and Employment Coaching to K-12 Completers, Livelihood Fair, Diskwento Fair, Business Orientation & Consultation, Release of Livelihood Checks and Starter Kits, Medical and Dental Mission, One-Stop-Shop, DOLE Clinic, Raffles, Static Display by Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, Sports Fest, Search for Talentadong Empleyado, Skills Demo and Boodle Fight.

The May 1 celebration proved to be productive for jobseekers and workers alike where industrial peace is evident and felt region-wide.

END/Karen Claire Q. Grafia