Job fairs, free legal services on Independence Day

MANILA, Philippines — To commemorate the country’s 126th Independence Day, the government is mounting job and livelihood fairs and free legal services.

For those looking for employment overseas, the Department of Migrant Workers announced its Mega Job Fair at the Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City on June 12.

“There will be 21 participating recruitment agencies (17 land-based, four sea-based) offering 6,558 approved job orders,” the department said.

The Department of Labor and Employment said over 100,000 local and overseas jobs are up for grabs in the Kalayaan job fairs to be mounted in 43 sites nationwide. DOLE advised jobseekers to participate and visit the fair sites nearest to them.

About 1,000 participating employers will be offering a total 106,298 local jobs and 5,165 overseas vacancies, it added.

Most jobs fairs will be mounted in malls for the convenience of the applicants, who are reminded to ready their application requirements. A one-stop shop of government services, which would process pre-employment documents, will also be available for jobseekers.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will also be putting up a livelihood training booth in the Rizal Park in Manila.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be suspending the number coding for vehicles with plates ending in 5 and 6 so they could use major thoroughfares.

For those seeking to process their concerns relating to driver’s licenses, the Land Transportation Office will be providing an e-patrol service. Applications for a driver’s license or its renewal, application for student permits as well as the filing of complaints will be accommodated at this e-patrol service.

The Department of Justice and its attached agencies – Public Attorney’s Office, Board of Claims, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Immigration – are also offering free legal aid and frontline services in Rizal Park from June 10 to 11 as part of the Independence Day commemoration. The PAO is offering free legal services and assistance to walk-in clients while the BOC will give assistance to applications and queries on victims’ compensation. The NBI would process clearance applications while the BI would assist in visa applications at the site.

At least 11,692 police officers will secure the Independence Day celebrations at the Luneta on Wednesday, said the Philippine National Police chief information officer Col. Jean Fajardo.

She added that personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection and other government agencies will also help secure the Independence Day-related activities nationwide.

Protect freedom

Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the country’s independence is a gift from God and Filipinos should protect their freedom from the interest of other countries, including China and the United States.

In an interview over Radio Veritas, Pabillo said the 126th anniversary of Philippine Independence should also remind the Filipino people to not allow other countries to dictate on the Philippines.

“We should thank God that we are enjoying our independence. But this is a gift from God and we should take care of this gift, especially at this time when there are disturbing (developments) with our problem with China. We might get dragged into the fighting and end up losing our independence,” said the bishop of Taytay in Palawan.

Pabillo added that the Filipino people should not only be on the lookout for China, but other countries as well – such as the US, Australia, Japan and India – that might affect decision-making and in crafting foreign policies.

“It is not only China. We should also strive that we would not fall under the western powers, that we would be able to maintain our independence, be able to make our own decisions and would not be dictated by the policy of other countries such as the US, Australia, India and Japan and that is why it is difficult to weigh” the pros and cons in making decisions, Pabillo said.

Filipinos should also pray for the country’s leaders so they would not be influenced by other countries.

San Jose Nueva Ecija Bishop Roberto Mallari said the celebration of the country’s independence is a blessing and shows the goodness that is innate in every Filipino.

“It is important that we understand that we have been called to freely do what is good, to be able to experience real joy that comes from God,” Mallari added. – Evelyn Macairan, Daphne Galvez, Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso