Thousands flock to job fairs

MANILA, Philippines – Around 30,000 jobseekers flocked to the Labor Day job fair, said to be the biggest in history, held yesterday at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, as the government announced a package of non-wage benefits for workers to help them cope with the prevailing global financial crisis.

Similar job fairs were held yesterday in various areas nationwide.

Labor Assistant Secretary Reydeluz Conferido said that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, a total of 5,516 jobseekers nationwide had been hired on the spot.

Conferido said they expected the number of “hatch” or on-the-spot hiring to hit 10,000 by the event’s end.

Alex Aguilar, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) deputy secretary-general, said the union and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) opted to extend the registration process until 7 p.m. to accommodate all applicants.

“There was a heavy turnout of jobseekers so we decided to extend the registration process and to do a repeat of the job fair at the World Trade Center on May 4,” Aguilar said.

As early as 6 a.m. or two hours before the start of registration, jobseekers, mostly new graduates, started to line up outside the venue.

Security guards even reported a minor commotion when some of the applicants jostled to get inside the convention hall.

But policemen said there were no reports of any injury despite the minor commotion.

Aguilar said yesterday’s job fair at the Mall of Asia was the biggest in history and also generated the biggest turnout of jobseekers.

 In-demand jobs

Samuel Epondulan, 41, believes finding a job is the most difficult thing to do at this time, but he was proven wrong.

Although there were thousands of jobseekers at the Labor Day job fair, Epondulan was immediately hired to work as a plumber in Qatar.

“I was surprised, I just wanted to try my luck and I never thought I would be hired right then and there,” Epondulan said.

Epondulan has been employed as a plumber in a local company for five years and receives P9,000 monthly salary.

When he heard the news about the country’s biggest job fair, he decided to go and apply for a higher paying job overseas.

Epondulan didn’t realize it, but he has one of the most sought-after skills abroad at the moment.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Jennifer Manalili said one of the most in-demand jobs abroad at this time is that of plumber.

“We have been getting numerous job orders for plumbers and welders from various countries abroad, particularly in the Middle East, but we now having difficulty filling them,” Manalili said.

Like Epondulan, Jesus Mariano went to the job fair and was hired to work as cook at Hotel Sofitel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

 Older jobseekers

Not only new graduates, displaced workers and the unemployed flocked to the job fair but even those currently employed who are seeking higher paying jobs.

There were, likewise, a number of older jobseekers, among them Fernando Cipriano, 53, who applied for work overseas.

Meantime, during yesterday’s Labor Day celebration at the Mall of Asia, two workers went home with the biggest smile for winning houses and lots in Cavite.

Consolacion Pavilian, a vendor from Intramuros, won a house and lot in Imus, Cavite while Ildefonso Cruz, an employee of Mitsubishi, got a house and lot in Trece Martires.

 Non-wage benefits

Vice President Noli de Castro yesterday unveiled a package of non-wage benefits for workers to help them cope with the financial meltdown.

While there was no wage increase, De Castro said the government is exerting all efforts to strengthen the purchasing power of workers.

De Castro announced that the government, particularly the Pag-IBIG Fund, has further increased the available loan for workers from P2 million to P3 million as well as reduced housing loan interest rates.

Interest rates for housing loans ranging from P800,000 to P1 million are now down to 8.5 percent from the previous 10.5 percent, while the interest rate for more than P1.2 million is now 9.5 percent from 10.5 percent.

“Pag-IBIG also approved a special short-term payment for displaced workers payable in three years,” De Castro said, adding that he ordered a study on the feasibility of putting up housing projects near economic zones and call center offices.

“Housing projects in ecozones and areas with call center offices will ensure safety of our workers and help minimize their expenses,” De Castro said.

He further expressed support for the call to provide salary increase to government employees and strengthen provident funds.

The Vice President also called on banks to reduce the interest rates for credit cards.

According to De Castro, he will work for additional Bigas ng Bayan and Botika ng Bayan outlets to provide cheaper medicine and other basic commodities to workers nationwide.

He also directed the DOLE to come up with programs that would provide incentives for companies in economic zones that will promote workers’ organizations or trade unions.

 ‘Not as bleak’

President Arroyo said yesterday the country’s labor situation is not as bleak as portrayed by pessimists, and thanked the Filipino worker for contributing to protecting the economy amid a global recession.

She said since the onset of the global economic crisis, her administration considered “every day as Labor Day and every day we exerted all efforts to save and protect jobs.”

“Labor Day this year is a timely occasion for the nation to celebrate the resiliency of our economy that has so far protected us from the worst of the global recession and allowed us so far to continue to grow,” Mrs. Arroyo said in her speech during the turnover ceremonies for the new Armed Forces chief at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

President Arroyo also ordered yesterday the implementation of more measures to help government workers cope with the effects of the global recession, including agencies providing free shuttle services for their employees.

 ‘Resolve cases’

Acting on the request of the TUCP, De Castro urged the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) to speed up the resolution of pending labor cases and ordered a tight watch on companies adopting labor-only contracting scheme.

De Castro said the government will continue to undertake measures to improve the working conditions and lives of workers amid the global crisis.

He said the government will look into the possibility of granting a subsidy to all workers displaced by the ongoing financial crisis.

At this time, De Castro said, the proposal needs serious study because at least P1 billion will be needed to implement the project.

Aguilar said workers are happy that the government is already considering the granting of unemployment insurance for displaced workers.

“This is the number one demand of workers at this time. About 50,000 displaced workers are in dire need of financial help from the government,” he said.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, however, gave assurance that the effect of the financial crisis has already tapered off and there are only few displacements at this time.

 Nationwide rallies

Also yesterday, thousands took to the streets in various areas nationwide to demand better working conditions.

“The labor movement has brought us the weekend, the eight-hour work, social security system, basic trade union rights and many other rights. But these historic gains are now being undermined,” said Alliance for Progressive Labor chair Daniel Edralin.

He said the Arroyo administration frustrated the labor movement’s recent efforts to strengthen the workers’ constitutional right to organize through Republic Act 9481 by issuing rules that negated the spirit of the law.

“It has constantly prevented workers from exercising their right to strike through the issuance of assumption of jurisdiction,” he added.

Using the global financial crisis as a pretext, employers are now embarking on a campaign to dismantle the few remaining safeguards for job security the labor movement has fought for all these years.

“The call of ECOP (Employers Confederation of the Philippines) for further deregulation of labor policies, including the relaxing of rules regarding separation pay for workers and their demand for wage freeze, is not the solution,” Edralin said.

Instead of generating jobs, Edralin said the government opted to use the illusion of creating jobs through job fairs.

He said applicants in DOLE’s job fairs will find out that they are being recruited as replacement workers as most of the employment contracts available will be for four to five months only, without security of tenure.

 Misplaced priorities

The Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) assailed President Arroyo yesterday for putting the health workers on the sidelines in her Labor Day speech and said her priorities were misplaced.

According to HEAD president Gene Nisperos, the President exhorted the Armed Forces in her speech but did not give a “single iota of support” to health workers.

As of 4 p.m., the Manila Police District-Tactical Operations Center (MPD-TOC) reported that there was a crowd estimated at about 5,000 at the Liwasang Bonifacio.

Several rallyists belonging to Anakpawis, Bayan, Gabriela, Kilusang Mayo Uno and many other militant groups converged at the University of Sto. Tomas, Recto, Welcome Rotonda and other areas in Manila.

The members of the militant groups then marched toward Liwasang Bonifacio, where they held programs.

Unlike in previous years, the rallyists did not to force their way to Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola).

In Davao City, at least 3,000 workers yesterday took to the streets to demand anew the P125 across-the-board increase for private workers and P3,000 wage hike for government employees.

Led by militant groups such as the Southern Mindanao chapters of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and Bayan Muna, the workers represented various labor organizations from different parts of the region, some of whom came all the way from Compostela Valley.

“We challenge the House of Representatives and the Senate to act fast on our demand for the P125 across-the-board increase for private workers and the P3,000 increase we are asking for government employees. Until now, both the Senate and House have not worked on it,” said Bayan Muna regional chairman and former congressman Joel Virador.

Virador said the lawmakers should act on the workers’ demand immediately because the global financial crisis has already taken its toll on laborers who are not well compensated.

Meantime, a party-list lawmaker said that months, if not years, of joblessness or underemployment face the crop of 900,000 college graduates of Class 2009 with the government failing to provide jobs other than those in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

Rep. Raymond Palatino of the Kabataan party-list said the government has miserably failed in its vow to generate jobs especially for fresh graduates.

Palatino said the latest labor force survey showed that a majority of the country’s unemployed were young people aged 15 to 24.

 Generally peaceful

The Philippine National Police (PNP) described as generally peaceful the celebration of Labor Day in Manila and other key cities in the country with no untoward incidents reported.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa directed all PNP regional directors to continue implementing their respective security and public safety plans even after the Labor Day activities have been concluded.

“We are thankful to the organizers and participants of the mass actions for their cooperation with the security measures we implemented that resulted in the generally peaceful outcome of Labor Day activities,” Verzosa said. –Mayen Jaymalin with Sheila Crisostomo, Edith Regalado, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Sandy Araneta, Paolo Romero and Rainier Allan Ronda, Philippine Star