CITY OF MALOLOS–About 11,227 fresh and recent graduates and other job applicant Bulakenyos were offered local and overseas work opportunities as part of the province celebration of “Gat Blas F. Ople’s” 96th birth anniversary.
Ople’s daughter, Department of Migrant Workers Susan “Toots” Ople graced the Job’s Fair at the Hiyas Pavilion after a wreath laying ceremony before the bust of his father in front of the Provincial Youth, Sports and Public Employment Service Office(PYSPESO) or Ople the Buiding in the Capitol grounds.
According to PYSPESO Head Atty. Kenneth Z. Ocampo-Lantin, more than 3,000 Bulakenyo applicants had pre-registered in the job fair wherein 48 participating local employers offered a total of 4,309 job offerings while 22 overseas agencies offered a total of 6,918 job vacancies abroad.
In her message as the guest of honor, Secretary Ople reminded the Bulakenyos to be cautious of the job offers from online platforms such as Facebook and encouraged job hunters to also consider local employment.
“Lahat tayo nakatingin sa overseas na mga trabaho pero mahirap mawalay sa pamilya. Kaya sana balansehin ninyo ang pagdedesisyon dahil hindi lahat ay pang OFW. At pakiusap namin ni Governor, huwag papatol sa mga trabaho na pino-post sa Facebook. Kaya may mga nabibiktima at napapahamak dahil hindi nakikilala ang employer. Dati ang illegal recruitment face to face, ngayon puro online na. Mayroon din tayong mga government agencies na nandito sa job fair kaya sana samantalahin n’yo na,” Sec. Ople said.
Governor Daniel R. Fernando also expressed his interest in implementing job fair on a monthly basis and made sure that the every Bulakenyo will benefit from the growing economy of the province.
“Ang job fair po natin ngayon ay alay natin sa alaala ni Blas Ople because today is his birthday. Pinasasalamatan natin ang mga ahensya na katuwang ng ating Pamahalaang Panlalawigan. Patuloy po tayo sa paghikayat sa pagpasok ng iba’t ibang kumpanya, proyekto, negosyo’t pamumuhunan sa Bulacan. Ito ay upang matiyak natin na masigla ang mga lokal na ekonomiya at may nakalaang mga trabaho sa bawat Bulakenyo. Bulakenyos, parating na ang development sa atin,” the governor said.
The job fair also offered a one-stop shop where applicants may avail government services from SSS, PSA, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, BIR, DMW, DTI and DOLE. Meanwhile, Jeymalyn Larin, a fresh graduate, thanked the PGB for the opportunity of being one of the job seekers who was hired on the spot.
“First time ko po mag-apply dahil fresh graduate po ako at masaya po talaga ako na na-hire agad ako bilang cashier sa Villarica. Maraming salamat po sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Bulacan sa pagbubukas ng mga oportunidad sa kagaya ko na naghahanap ng marangal na trabaho,” Larin said.
Further, coinciding the job fair is the medical mission mainly for over 400 Overseas Filipino Workers and Bulakenyos wherein they can avail free general checkup, medicines, ECG, X-Ray, vaccines for measles and COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots with the help of 10 doctors from DMW, 10 doctors from the Province of Pampanga, and eight doctors from the PGB.
