The Marikina City local government, together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and SM Shopping Malls, launched on Monday, June 12, its Independence Day Job Fair. The fair was spearheaded by Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro, SM Marikina Manager Francis Brian Cruz, and DOLE Supervising Labor and Employment Officer Engr. Roberto Chavez Jr. held at SM Marikina. “Today as we celebrate the Philippines’ 125th Independence Day, we are simultaneously holding this job fair for everybody so we could be liberated from poverty through job,” Teodoro said. According to him, over 30 companies participated in the job fair as he encouraged jobseekers to take advantage of the opportunity and explore potential career paths. “Sa ating lahat na naririto, ang pag-asa ang hindi dapat mawala, patuloy lang tayo na magsikap (To everyone here with us today, keep in mind that your hope should never waiver. Let's all continue to do our best and persevere in everything that we do)," he added. The mayor noted that as he observed the hiring process, he noticed a lot of community college graduates of Marikina who are applying for jobs. With this, he said that he is contemplating on reviewing the curriculum of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina to fix the courses being offered in order to fit the industry requirement. The local chief executive thanked the management of SM Marikina and DOLE for being the city's partners in its commitment of providing employment opportunities to the Marikeños. During the celebration of Labor Day on May 1, the Office of Marikina City First District Representative Marjorie Ann “Maan” Teodoro and the local government held simultaneous job fairs at SM Marikina and at the City Hall. He also expressed his gratitude to all the companies that participated in the job fair. Some of the companies that took part in the job fair were Business Process Outsourcing firms or BPOs, banks, hotels, transportation companies, food chains, supermarket chains, clothing companies, telecommunications companies, shoe manufacturers, and many more. For his part, Cruz thanked the Marikina City government and its Public Employment and Services Office (PESO), headed by Gil Munar, for gathering a diverse group of companies and organizations who are offering various job vacancies across different industries. “As we all know, COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected our economy and the livelihoods of many Filipinos, but through this job fair, we hope to provide a glimmer of hope for jobseekers and help them find meaningful employment opportunities. “SM, PESO, and the local government of Marikina share the belief that jobs are not just a source of income, but also a means to build a better future one’s self, one’s family, and the community. “We hope that this job fair will be a step towards a brighter future for all of us,” Cruz said. A local official of DOLE said that they are targeting to accommodate over 2,300 jobseekers, who are mostly fresh graduates and working students.