Iloilo city: Over 5,000 vacancies are available for job seekers during the "Trabaho Agad" job fair of the Department of Labor and Employment in Western Visayas (DOLE-6) in line with the 128th Independence Day celebration on Friday. In a press conference on Wednesday, DOLE-6 Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. announced that 58 employers have registered, with 55 offering 3,418 local job vacancies and three providing 1,689 opportunities abroad.

According to Philippines News Agency, this flagship initiative aims to translate the spirit of freedom into meaningful opportunities for the people of Western Visayas. The job fair is scheduled to be held at Robinsons Place (main) starting at 9 a.m. Among the top vacancies are positions for customer service representatives, loan officers, production crew, officer candidate soldier course, premium agents, sales associates, service crew, janitors/janitress, English as a second language tutors, and financial consultants.

The top industries represented at the fair include agriculture, manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail, accommodation and food services, information and communication, financial and insurance activities, real estate activities, administrative and support services activities, and public administration and defense.

Parallel to the job fair, a one-stop shop will feature partner government agencies providing essential services for applicants, including urinalysis, human immunovirus screening, mental health screening, and general medical consultations. This initiative underscores DOLE's commitment to holistic public service beyond employment facilitation.

Meanwhile, DOLE will disburse more than PHP4.9 million in stipends to 1,009 beneficiaries of the government internship program on Friday. Additionally, over PHP26.19 million will be allocated for emergency employment, and PHP9.4 million will be granted to two project proponents for livelihood initiatives.