The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) announced Friday that 4,954 job openings are available at simultaneous Labor Day job fairs across the region on May 1.

DOLE-9 Director Albert Gutib said that of the 4,954 job vacancies, 2,766 are for overseas placement and the remaining 2,188 are for local employment.

“We have lined up several activities for this year’s observance of the 124th Labor Day, including a job fair to provide employment opportunities to job seekers,” DOLE-Zamboanga Peninsula Director Albert Gutib said in a press conference on Friday.

He said the simultaneous job fair will be participated in by 10 overseas placement agencies and 68 local companies.

Zamboanga City has the highest number of job vacancies, with 2,605, comprising 1,089 for overseas placement and 1,516 for local employment.

Job seekers are advised to pre-register online to expedite interviews on the day of the job fair.

The simultaneous job fair will be held in this city, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Sulu, and Isabela City in Basilan.

Gutib said there will also be a simultaneous distribution of government assistance, including the turnover of livelihood kits, Kadiwa ng Pagulo, and DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) payout at the job fair sites.

A ceremonial turnover of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” will likewise be held in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, National Food Authority, and Southern Philippines Fishing Association, Incorporated, signifying strengthened inter-agency collaboration to ensure affordable rice and improved food security for minimum wage earners.

The 124th Labor Day celebration is anchored on theme “Disenteng Trabaho Para sa Lahat: Iisang Hangarin, Bagong Pilipinas Sama-samang Marating.” (PNA)