THE job fair in a mall in Cebu City on Friday, June 12. (DOLE-7)
CEBU CITY – On the day that the country celebrated the 128th anniversary of Philippine independence, close to 300 individuals in Central Visayas were freed from unemployment.
The Department of Labor and Employment-Central Visayas (DOLE-7) reported that a total of 266 jobseekers were hired on the spot (HOTS) during the Trabaho Agad Job Fairs held separately in Cebu City and Bohol province on Friday, June 12.
The job fairs formed part of the nationwide 2026 Mega Local and Overseas Job Fair spearheaded by the DOLE and partners.
In Region 7, 519 jobseekers were registered, including 451 regular jobseekers.
Other applicants were senior high school graduates, Persons with Disabilities, displaced or repatriated overseas Filipino workers, and beneficiaries of government programs.
The majority of HOTS applicants were regular jobseekers.
DOLE-7 said 8,000 jobs were offered during the fairs. Among the positions filled during the job fair included customer service, sales, retail, operations, production, healthcare, food service, and technical occupations.
DOLE-7 Regional Director Roy Buenafe the job fairs were conducted in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) as part of the program for senior high school graduates.
“We anticipate that our senior high school graduates will be able to work right away,” Buenafe said.
Personnel from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Professional Regulation Commission, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and other partner agencies were on hand to assist applicants with employment requirements and documentation.