MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced that nearly 233,000 children have been removed from labor over the past three years, supporting the government’s target of eliminating child labor by 2028.
For Labor Day, the agency will roll out around 90 job fair locations nationwide, offering more than 190,000 job openings to Filipino job seekers.
DOLE spokesperson Lennard Serrano said that 2,274 employers are set to participate, providing a total of 190,825 vacancies. He noted that the May 1 job fairs will take place simultaneously across the country and will be more extensive than previous events.
Most of the available positions are in retail, manufacturing, construction, BPO, and hospitality industries. These include roles such as sales associates, production workers, carpenters, customer service representatives, and food service staff.
The Labor Day events will also feature 48 Kadiwa ng Pangulo stalls, allowing attendees to purchase low-cost farm products, as well as one-stop service centers with agencies like the PNP, NBI, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG.
Despite these efforts, labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) expressed concern, saying job fairs alone cannot address unemployment. The group pointed out that job generation falls short compared to the 2.66 million Filipinos without work as of February.
KMU chair Jerome Adonis criticized the quality of jobs offered, describing many as short-term or contractual.
Serrano responded by stressing that DOLE’s employment programs go beyond job matching. He said job fairs also provide guidance, skills training, and access to TESDA programs to help workers improve their employability.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed a 5.1 percent unemployment rate in February, while underemployment reached 11.8 percent, affecting millions of workers seeking additional income.
DOLE also continues to expand its employment facilitation services, including local job matching initiatives and its online platform, PhilJobNet, to connect job seekers with opportunities.
ia/xf
