CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — A total of 303 jobseekers were hired-on-the spot during the region-wide Kalayaan 2025 Job Fair held across Central Luzon, in celebration of the 127th Philippine Independence Day.
Organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 3, in partnership with local government units, and public and private stakeholders, the job fair was simultaneously conducted in various provinces and drew 3,364 registered applicants.
The on-the-spot hiring rate rose to nine percent from last year’s 6.75 percent, where 246 out of 3,644 applicants were immediately employed.
DOLE Regional Director Geraldine Panlilio emphasized the importance of the annual job fair in supporting both job seekers and employers, amid the region’s evolving labor market conditions.
“The primary aim of this event is for our employers to be able to get the best and the brightest of
their future workers. And the tip that we want to give them is, of course, to see what else they can develop for our workers, such as programs for talent retention,” she said.
In Pampanga, the job fair was held at SM Telabastagan in the City of San Fernando, where 33 local and two overseas employers offering 6,148 job vacancies participated. Of these, 5,743 were local positions and 405 were for overseas deployment.
Top job openings at the fair included production operators, customer service representatives, warehouse crew, food preparers, sales clerks, skilled workers, factory workers, aircon technicians, bookkeepers, and baristas.
An early success story from the event came from Brinz Soliman, who was hired-on-the-spot shortly after submitting his resume.
“Well, actually I didn’t expect to be the first one hired-on-the-spot because I arrived here late. I wasn’t even aware that I would start at this time, I’m so happy about the results,” Soliman shared.
Likewise, Julius Canque, now an electrician at Unimax Steel Structure and Construction Corp, expressed gratitude after securing a job at the fair.
“Thank you, DOLE Region 3 for organizing this job fair. This will greatly help me save up for the children’s needs. May DOLE continue this program so they can aid more people find employment,” Canque said.
Six allied service booths, including those from the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, National Bureau of Investigation, and Home Development Mutual Fund, were also stationed inside the mall to assist job seekers with government requirements and documentation.
Meanwhile, Panlilio cited improved employment conditions in Central Luzon.
She said according to the April 2025 Labor Force Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the region’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.1 percent from 3.3 percent in April 2024, which is lower than the national average of 4.1 percent; while underemployment in the region also declined, from 9.2 percent to 8.5 percent.
However, she noted a slight decrease from 5.76 million in April 2024 to 5.63 million in April 2025 due to a drop in labor force participation.
To address employment-related challenges, Panlilio also reiterated DOLE’s commitment to expand livelihood programs, labor education, and youth internship in partnership with different agencies.
The Kalayaan 2025 Job Fair is part of DOLE’s ongoing efforts to connect job seekers with employers and reduce unemployment through accessible labor market interventions. (MJSC/MAGP, PIA Region 3-Pampanga GIP)
