22 September 2022 — In line with ongoing efforts to bolster the country’s economic recovery, the partnership between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) kicked off the first of a series of tourism job fairs to bridge displaced workers, fresh graduates, and jobseekers to gainful wage employment.

With the theme Trabaho Turismo Asenso!, the activity was held simultaneously last 22 -24 September 2022 24 in Manila (NCR), Cebu (Region VII) and Davao (Region XI). A total of 8,310 local job vacancies from 157 participating employers in the tourism and allied sectors were offered to jobseekers. The three-day event attracted 9,026 jobseekers and recorded 395 applicants hired-on-the-spot.

This series of job fairs was conceptualized by the DOLE and DOT through a Memorandum of Understanding signed last 30 August 2022. The focus of the initiative is to provide an avenue for the creation of employment opportunities in the tourism sector in light of the re-opening of business establishments.

In her keynote message during the opening ceremony held last 22 September 2022 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, DOLE Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres emphasized the Department’s significant role in assisting workers to find jobs and responding to the needs of growing industries — particularly key employment generating sectors like the tourism sector. She also reiterated that DOLE shall take an active involvement in addressing job-skills mismatch, low labor capital productivity, and underutilization of the labor force, now that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority is an attached agency of the Department.

The series of job fairs will continue to cover the rest of the regions in the coming months until May 2023 to mark the 121st National Labor Day and 50th Founding anniversary of the Department of Tourism.