ILOILO City officials and national government agencies are planning to hold more jobs fair to help more jobseekers.

This, after a jobs fair for graduates of information technology, maritime, medical, hotel and restaurant management, mass communication and teaching courses was held yesterday at SM City by the office of Councilor Nielex Tupas.

“Job applicants should have the opportunity because we expect more of them to go abroad. We believe in Ilonggo talents, thus we bring closer to their attention available employments,” said Tupas, chair of the committee on labor and employment of the City Council.

Tupas said the whole day activity, which was participated by 15 local employers and 15 recruitment agencies, offered graduates of available “in-demand” jobs locally and abroad.

The neophyte councilor said they plan to hold more jobs fair semi-annually in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole-6) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), among other agencies.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and National Statistics Office (NSO) also helped applicants on the processing of necessary documents such as machine readable passports.

The other participating groups in the jobs fair were the Iloilo Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association (IHRRA), Iloilo Business Club (IBC), and ABS-CBN Iloilo.

Jo Agudo, chief of the City Public Employment Services Office (Peso), said the jobs fair helped fresh batch of graduates find employment and ease economic difficulties.

Engr. Filomeno Sonza, director of Dole Iloilo-Guimaras said some 1,000 job openings gave jobseekers “big opportunities” to be employed.

Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa-6), and some 30 local and international companies will also conduct another jobs fair June 7-8 in time for the Migrant Workers’ Day.

“The vacancies have already job orders, thus the qualified applicants will be surely hired,” Mabilog said.

POEA-6 officer-in-charge Rhea Glynda Calantas urged applicants to attend the local jobs fair instead of spending money to look for work in Metro Manila.