Nearly 14K jobs available for workers to be affected by POGO ban

MANILA – Around 14,000 local and overseas employment opportunities will be offered at the two special job fairs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for workers who will be displaced by the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the 13,744 job vacancies will be offered in the two job fair venues in Metro Manila, Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City and at the Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati City,

"There are two venues for the job fair…to address the issue of accessibility for the jobseekers," he said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

At the venue in Parañaque City, a total of 60 local employers are set to participate which will offer 8,162 jobs.

The employment opportunities include those in the industries of BPO, wholesale and retail, transport and logistics, construction, tourism, hospitality, and health and wellness.

In the Makati City job fair, a total of 44 local employers and four overseas recruitment firms will offer 5,582 job slots.

The jobs available are overseas employment opportunities for nurses, cleaners, butchers, plumbers, bus drivers, auto mechanic, fire truck electricians, welders, cruise ship jobs, and production operators.

Earlier, DOLE data showed that affected POGO workers at risk of losing their jobs is pegged at 79,735 which include Filipino and foreign employees.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier directed the DOLE to find employment opportunities for Filipinos, who stand to lose employment due to the ban on POGOs. (PNA)