Independence day job fairs tally 266 HOTS

Local

A TOTAL of 266 jobseekers were hired on the spot (HOTS) during the Trabaho Agad Job Fairs (Araw ng Kalayaan) held on Friday, June 12 in separate areas in Bohol and Cebu City.

The job fair, conducted in celebration of the country’s Independence Day, formed part of the nationwide 2026 Mega Local and Overseas Job Fair spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment-Central Visayas (DOLE-7) and its partners.

Data from the event showed that 519 jobseekers registered, composed of 248 males and 271 females.

Of the total registrants, 451 were regular jobseekers, while others included senior high school graduates, persons with disabilities, displaced or repatriated overseas Filipino workers, and beneficiaries of government programs.

Among those hired on the spot, 103 were male applicants and 163 were female applicants, accounting for more than half of all registered participants.

The majority of HOTS applicants were regular jobseekers. The positions filled during the job fair covered a wide range of sectors, including customer service, sales, retail, operations, production, healthcare, food service, and technical occupations.

Among the most in-demand roles were service crew, sales associates, customer service representatives, production operators, store clerks, cashiers, pharmacy assistants, warehouse clerks, and operations management trainees.

In a separate report by PTV, a total of 8,000 jobs were available for job seekers in partnership with the Cebu City Government.

DOLE-7 said the job fair seeks to provide job opportunities for fresh graduates,

especially those who completed senior high school.

Atty. Roy Buenafe, DOLE-7 Regional Director, said they have also partnered with the Department of Education Region 7 for this.

Aside from immediate hiring opportunities, the event also facilitated employment support services.

A total of 155 qualified jobseekers were identified, while 20 applicants were classified as near-hires.

DOLE-7 also recorded 67 jobseekers who availed of career development support services and 574 individuals who accessed one-stop-shop government services.

Several government agencies participated in the event to assist applicants with employment requirements and documentation. These included the Philippine Statistics Authority PSA, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Professional Regulation Commission PRC, National Bureau of Investigation, and other partner agencies.(MyTVCebu)