The Pasig City local government unit (LGU) warned residents on Wednesday, March 9, of fake news and scams after a post about a supposed government-sponsored job fair went viral on social media.
The city’s Public Information Office (PIO) released an advisory concerning an unverified Facebook page that claimed a job fair was held in a mall on March 7 to 9 in partnership with the Pasig LGU and the Public Employment Service Office (PESO).
The now-deleted post, which had a poster that bore the official Pasig seal and the PESO logo, claimed that applicants will be directly hired by companies, paying no fees during the fair.
However, the applicants were reportedly asked to pay P950 for the job fair, as per the PIO.
It also included a salary offer of P537 or P550, plus P90 for overtime per hour, and complete coverage of social welfare benefits such as the Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth, and PAG-IBIG, along with undisclosed incentives.
The organizer of the event did not acquire a permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which was supposed to be processed by the PESO.
They also failed to acquire authorization from the local government to use the Pasig seal and PESO logo.
After contacting the venue of the supposed fair, the LGU said the mall also denied the legitimacy of the event.
The LGU reminded residents to be discerning and not readily believe the information they access on social media, particularly if the sources are unverified pages or accounts.
The LGU stressed that the only official pages authorized to release guidelines, advisories, and announcements concerning legitimate job fairs and events are the verified, official accounts of the Pasig City PIO and the Pasig PESO.
Prior to the release of the advisory, the PIO announced a legitimate mega job fair to be held on Saturday, March 12, at the RAVE Amphitheater, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More than 60 companies have confirmed their attendance and participation in the event.