DOLE to employers: Be considerate in hiring workers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday urged employers to be more flexible and considerate in hiring workers.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said employers should give a chance to applicants who might lack one or two qualifications.

“A near-hire applicant, if given the chance, might quickly learn or acquire the needed qualification if he or she is already on the job or maybe through a short training,” Baldoz pointed out.

Baldoz said employers could help in promoting employment and curb unemployment by adopting flexible hiring policy.

“We will be gratified if employers participating in our job fairs on Labor Day can improve their hiring rates and increase the number of applicants hired on the spot,” she said

She made the call to employers as thousands of new graduates and other jobseekers are expected to troop today to various job fairs nationwide.

The labor chief directed the different DOLE regional offices to work with employers for the hiring of more job applicants in the job fairs.

Improving hiring rates, Baldoz said, is possible because the DOLE and its regional offices have announced early and extensively their job fair schedules using all available media. She had also directed them to conduct advance registration and screening of applicants.

Last year, a total of 20,905 applicants were hired on the spot out of 127,880 registered jobseekers in the Labor Day job fairs.

In line with this year’s Labor Day celebration, DOLE is holding 65 job fairs where over 100,000 local and overseas jobs would be offered to jobseekers.

Baldoz said the DOLE has been regularly announcing job fair schedules early to enable applicants to prepare for the vacancies.

She added that the DOLE’s job fairs are held in convenient and accessible places, and are designed to ensure that job applicants are protected from illegal recruiters.

Employers that participate in the job fairs are also thoroughly screened and validated.

Private sector-organized job fairs are conducted with DOLE’s permission, and no charges or fees are collected from job seekers or applicants before, during or after the fair.

Baldoz also urged applicants to look at relevant labor market information to help them map out their careers wisely.

“This is one of the best ways you can match yourselves with productive opportunities or even be hired on the spot during job fairs,” Baldoz explained.

She also advised first-time jobseekers to accept the first job that comes their way and which fits their qualifications so they can earn experience and pick up job-ready skills.

At least 5,200 jobs await applicants all over Cagayan Valley in Labor Day job fairs in Cagayan Valley, the DOLE said.

Sixto Rodriguez Jr., DOLE director for Cagayan Valley, said the jobs fairs would be held at Robinsons Mall in Santiago City, Isabela and at the People’s Gymnasium in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Another is scheduled on May 3 at the town hall of Aparri, also in Cagayan.

Rodriguez said that at least 88 employers based in the region are expected to participate in today’s jobs fairs.

“We advise job seekers to bring their documents during the event and be prepared for the interviews,” Rodriguez said, also encouraging new graduates to take advantage of these opportunities.

OWWA charter

Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian pushed yesterday for the passage of the proposed charter of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) following the demand of Filipino workers abroad.

Gatchalian cited figures from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that showed the number of Filipinos deployed for work abroad in 2013 reached 1.8 million. The figure matched that of 2012, the highest ever deployment of local workers to other countries, he said.

Last year also saw a boost in personal remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), posting $25.1 billion, up by 7.6 percent from 2012, based on data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“Despite global political uncertainty like the Arab spring and the Euro crisis, OFWs remain to be in demand as proven by the latest figure on OFW deployment,” Gatchalian said.

He said a charter is crucial in guiding the operations of the OWWA by “fleshing out its mission, defining its membership base and coverage of benefits, and identifying programs which its members can avail.”

“It is high time to strengthen the institution which protects the welfare of OFWs.”

Contained in a consolidated bill now in the House committee on Overseas Workers’ Affairs, the proposed charter covers all OFWs registered with the POEA and those who voluntarily avail of the OWWA’s membership program.

It would require OWWA to develop and implement health care programs for members and their families and to provide death and disability benefits.

Other services for OFWs from OWWA would include repatriation and reintegration assistance, loans, and scholarships for members who want to undergo vocational training or a college degree.

OWWA collecting officers, deputized collecting officers or accredited collecting agents would be required to submit monthly reports to the OWWA Central Office in the Philippines.

Violators could face sanctions like suspension or separation from the service.

Collecting officers would also be required to deposit all OWWA fee contributions daily to the appropriate bank account. — With Paolo Romero, Charlie Lagasca