The Department of Labor and Employment-Zamboanga Peninsula (DOLE-9) organized a job fair that offered more than 4,000 vacancies on Monday, in line with the 125th Independence Day.

The “Araw ng Kalayaan” job fair was held at KCC Mall de Zamboanga where 44 top-notch firms from both local and international participated, DOLE-9 director Albert Gutib said.

According to Gutib, the occupations that are on top of the list are nurses, production workers, service crew, delivery workers, household workers, and hotel staff, among others.

A user-friendly online system was provided for the applicants who pre-registered for the job fair.

The applicants brought with them multiple copies of application documents such as resumes or curriculum vitae, identification pictures, certificates of employment for those who were previously employed, diploma and/or transcript of records, and an authenticated birth certificate as advised by the DOLE-9 director.

Employers and vacancies were posted prior so the applicants can choose positions that match their qualifications.

Based on the April 2023 reports by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent from 5.7 percent in the same month last year. In January 2023 the unemployment rate was estimated at 4.8 percent.

Across regions, Cagayan Valley posted the highest employment rate of 97.6 percent, followed by Cordillera Administrative Region at 97.3 percent, Region 9 at 97.3 percent, Mimaropa at 97.1 percent, and Region 8 or Eastern Visayas at 97 percent.

Written By Ailah Francisco, DZRH News Online Intern