Work at Home is a site that helps educate people on how to find a job online. Also, help them get started if they wish to have their own business at home. The site is filled with a lot of information in starting a business at home. Or if you’re the worker type, you can find great tips on where and how to find jobs online.

Benefits of Working for Jobs Openings Online

The benefits of working at home is vast. First thing is, you don’t have to leave the Philippines, or your house even. You can be there with your family while you work and never miss the “First” of your new born child. OFW’s will still be there but there are other ways you can still earn money here in the Philippines. That is, through sites like work at home, you can be educated to start making a living without leaving your homes, and earning dollars that most people sought after.

Second, you earn dollars. Internet and online jobs are almost all the time paid in US dollars. The good thing is, you get to spend it here where the value of dollar is higher.

Third, flexible time. You can work any time and for any amount of time. Meaning, you can work early morning and be finished after 2 hours or you can work for whole day for more earnings. This is the benefits of working at home. You are in command of your time and you don’t have to be slaving away for the rest of your life.

So how does this work at home jobs really work?

You need a “legitimate” job site where you can find and apply for jobs. There is a site like oDesk where you can pick from a wide range of jobs that fits for you. You can create a free account here. From article writing to more technical works such as web design, programming or even, book keeping!

You can give this a try since it is free. You can sign up for odesk on this link if you have not done so. There is also a tutorial that will help you get started in creating your odesk account.

Then, you need to apply for a job. Once you created an account, you need to apply for a job. Just use the search button or pick from the categories. The employer will pick who can take the job. If you are chosen, then you will get paid.

Click here for a tutorial on how to create your odesk account and start working at home.

How do I Receive Money Online?

Well, there are different approach to this. The easiest one is to have a paypal account. You can create a paypal account and have them deposit the money for you. You can then withdraw this money to your local bank.

If you don’t have a paypal account, you can apply for odesk’s mastercard. Where it is an international debit card where you can withdraw your earnings to any ATM machine in the world. Yes, that includes the Philippines.

We would also like to point out that jobs online are not limited to just plain jobs. You can also create a business online. Please refer to work at home guide for more business ideas you can start at your own home.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said the nationwide job and livelihood fairs will be the key highlight of the Labor Day 2010 celebrations across the country in honor of the Filipino workers on the theme, “Manggagawang Pilipino, Kaagapay sa Pagbabago.”

The Labor and Employment Chief emphasized that the “JOBS LIVE!” job fair will be joined, in the National Capital Region (NCR), by around 150 employers that would make available some 80,000 job vacancies abroad and about 30,000 opportunities for local employment, complemented by the employers and legitimate overseas recruiters offering more opportunities in the regional job fairs.

At the same time, Roque said that “JOBS LIVE!” will feature livelihood components carrying for sale/display a wide variety of attractive Philippine products and handicraft made chiefly by the beneficiaries of the DOLE’s assistance programs for the disadvantaged Informal Sector, along with opportunities for counseling and assistance on micro-entrepreneurship, skills demonstrations, and others.

Labor Undersecretary Lourdes M. Trasmonte, who chairs the DOLE’s Labor Day 2010 Steering Committee, said the opportunities during the nationwide fair comprise a wide range and variety of jobs here and abroad available to qualified job seekers. Based on the tentative inputs of the various DOLE’s Regional Offices (RO), the productive opportunities are from the country’s vibrant Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Information Technology (IT) services industries, the construction, wholesale and retail, engineering, automotive, food and beverages, catering, hotels and restaurants, agriculture and agri-related business, transportation, manufacturing, apparel, education, banking and finance, travel and tourism, real estate, hospital and medical services, and other sectors. Specifically, they include job vacancies for call center agents, office personnel, service crew, engineers, factory personnel, banking personnel, insurance personnel, healthcare personnel, and many others.

Roque had earlier encouraged jobseekers to register with JOBS LIVE! by logging on to the DOLE’s computerized Philjobnet system in the Internet (http://phil-job.net) for the purpose of pre-screening by the participating employers, to be responded by email for those who qualified for interview containing final instructions on their application during the May 1 job fair. On top of being a convenient option for job seekers particularly for those at the main SMX and SM Megamall venues, this would assist in providing a clearer picture on the number of workers hired on the spot, as well as the skills in demand including those that weren’t filled up due to lack of qualified applicants. Nonetheless, he emphasized that in the nationwide fairs, jobs will be made available even for non-experienced applicants, adding that those deciding not to pre-register will have access to manual registration in all other venues, with many other opportunities in the Philjobnet system posted by employers available to those in search of jobs year-round.

Trasmonte said that currently, the Phil-Jobnet system, under the aegis of the DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) headed by Director Maria Criselda R. Sy, is already assisting interested applicants for online pre-registration through http://phil-job.net, where they can gain free access to job vacancies, submit job applications on-line, query job opportunities, and be considered for job matching. She emphasized that the pre-registered applicants — already numbering more than 8,000 as of April 28 or just two days before the fair — will be accommodated only at the SMX and the SM Megamall on May 1, nonetheless, all the other job fair venues have manual registration for those who have not pre-registered online.

Amidst the development, Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante of the DOLE’s National Capital Region (NCR) Office apprised Trasmonte that the number of employers in the NCR confirming the availability of vacancies for the JOBS LIVE! Job fair is growing by the day. Agravante cited the cooperation of the major labor federations, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., (FFCCCII) and other employers’ groups, the Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) of various cities, the PESO Association of Metro Manila (PAMM), the Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (RTIPC), and others, in the ongoing preparations for the fairs. He said that in the NCR, the fairs will proceed in the following venues simultaneously on May 1: the SMX Convention Center, the SM MEGAMALL Mega Trade Halls 1&2, SM North EDSA, SM Southmall, SM Fairview, and SM San Lazaro. He said that both the number of opportunities and participating employers are expected to rise further as more confirm their participation at the approach of Labor Day.

Roque reiterated that the nationwide Labor Day event also affirms the greater social partnership with government, management, local government units (LGUs), the civil society and other sectors, as he cited their role in making the productive opportunities available to job seekers during the forthcoming fair.

He said that the nationwide fairs will be supervised by the DOLE’s Regional Offices (ROs) across the country, as well as the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), hand-in-hand with major labor groups such as the Association of Filipino Workers (AFW), the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Associated Labor Unions (ALU), All Workers Alliance of Trade Unions (AWATU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Trade Unions of the Philippines and Allied Services-World Federation of Trade Unions (TUPAS-WFTU), Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA), Philippine Organization of Labor Unions (POLU), and Philippine Transport and General Workers Organization (PTGWO).

Meanwhile, other DOLE ROs nationwide indicated that the key venues of the regional job fairs in their respective areas during the Labor Day celebrations are as follows: Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) - SM Baguio, Baguio International Convention Center; Region I - SM Rosales, Pangasinan; Region II - Paseo Real, Tuguegarao City; Region III - SM San Fernando Pampanga, SM Clark, Pampanga, SM Marilao, Bulacan, and SM Baliwag, Bulacan; Region IV-A -SM Sta. Rosa, Laguna, SM Dasmariñas, Cavite, SM Lipa, Batangas, SM Taytay, Rizal, and SM Lucena; Region IV-B - Municipal Gym Compound, San Jose Occidental, Mindoro; Region V - SM Naga; Region VI - SM Iloilo and SM Bacolod; Region VII - SM City Cebu, Cebu International Convention Center, Avellana Sports Complex; Region VIII - Tacloban City Convention Center; Region IX - Western Mindanao State University, Gaisano Capital; Region X - SM Cagayan De Oro; Region XI - SM Davao; Region XII - South Cotabato Protech, Kidapawan City Gym, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, South Seas Mall, Robinsons Gensan; and CARAGA - DOLE Regional Office Grounds, Butuan City.

The major sponsors of the nationwide Labor Day 2010 JOBS LIVE! are Globe, Banco de Oro (BDO), SM Supermalls, SMX Convention Center, Systems Technology Institute (STI), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Pag-IBIG Fund, Asia Brewery, Inc., and Vibal Publishing.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said employment prospects for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will remain vibrant as mega industrial and economic cities will be built across the Kingdom over the next 15 years.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque, citing a report from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), said the KSA’s medium to long-term socio-economic development plans include the development of 12 mega industrial and economic cities across the Kingdom which are expected to employ millions of local and foreign workers until 2024.

Roque also cited a study by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce which estimated that 10 million local and expatriate workers will be needed by the major development projects in the KSA.

He said the construction of the mega cities is expected to sustain the employment of hundreds of thousands of OFWs in the KSA, adding that the DOLE looks forward to continuous hiring of OFWs in the KSA this year and until 2024.

He said that with the robust construction activities aimed at making the KSA one of the world’s top investment destinations, it is projected that the Kingdom will remain the top OFW destination over the next several years.

The Labor and Employment Chief said OFWs in the construction sector will continue to be in demand in the KSA.

The POEA data showed that the KSA will be in need of aluminum installers, architects, carpenters, concrete finishers, draftsmen, drillers, electric/mechanical assistants, electricians, engineers, erectors, fabricators, foremen, heavy equipment operators, watchmen, mason, pipefitters, plaster painters, plasterers, plumbers, riggers, safety officers, welders, and mechanics. Oil and gas workers will also be in demand in the Kingdom.

Meantime, the following four integrated economic cities have already been launched in the KSA at a cost of about US$16 billion: 1) King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, KSA with a potential to create one million jobs; 2) Jazan Economic City in Jazan, KSA which is projected to generate 500,00 new jobs; 3) Prince Abdullaziz Bin Moussaed Economic City in Hail, KSA which expected to become the largest transportation and logistics hub and supply chain centers in the Middle East; and 4) Knowledge Economic City in Madinah, KSA.

Other economic cities already launched in the KSA are the Hail Industrial City and Al-Mal Economic City. The Kingdom’s development projects also include a US$5.3 billion (SR20 billion) light rail, buses, and sea transport system.

Jeddah, KSA’s largest city and gateway of pilgrims to Makkah and Madinah, will also develop housing units and tourist sites that would include the establishment of hotels, malls, transport facilities, and recreational centers. Multi-billion dollar projects providing for the construction of nine villages with retail and leisure amenities, mosques, and educational and healthcare facilities will also be pursued in the KSA’s Eastern Province.

A pioneer government-owned hospital in Saudi Arabia is now recruiting 300 Filipino male medical workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced today.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) had placed a job order for 300 medical workers with the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA).

He said that the SRCA needs 200 nurses and paramedics and 100 physicians. At the same time, the Labor chief reminded applicants that this is a government to government arrangement. Application and inquiries should only be made through the POEA.

“The SRCA prefers Filipino nurses and physicians because they are dedicated and competitive in their craft,” said Roque noting that the hospital as a pioneer institution gives emergency response and first aid support in Saudi Arabia.

Roque also reported that the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) deployed 275,933 OFWs in Saudi Arabia in 2008.

How To Apply

Qualified to apply for nurses and paramedics positions are male applicants not more than 50 years old. They must have diploma in BS Nursing and/or certification for paramedic training, license from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and high school diploma. Applicants must have worked as a member of an emergency support or ambulance team and has mastery of resuscitation techniques and medications.

For physicians, applicants must have specialization in emergency medicine, general surgery, traumatology, anesthesia and intensive care, males not more than 50 years old, must have license authorized by the PRC, and with at least two-year experience/ training in emergency medicine and intensive care are needed.

Among the documents required are comprehensive and latest resume with job description, photocopy of school credentials, employment certificates (old and latest), photocopy of the first page of passport, and six copies of 2X2 photos taken within 10 days before filing of the application.

Complete requirements must be submitted at the Window 1, Manpower Registry Division, ground floor, Blas F. Ople Building (formerly POEA Building), in Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City. Applicants may register online at www.poea.gov.ph.

No passport yet? Please read out guide on How to Apply Passport in the Philippines.

This is the real guide on how to apply for a passport in the Philippines. Do not be scammed. Read and learn.

What You Should Bring

You MUST (its a must) that you bring these documents before you go to DFA office. You have been warned. If you are not prepared, many fixers will be talking to you to take away your money. These documents are:

• NSO Birth certificate
• 3 colored passport ids. (Go to a photo shop and say you want an id picture for passport)
• 2 Valid IDs
• Supporting documents indicating your place of birth
• Ballpen - is expensive inside
• Paste - for pasting your photo id on the application form (its expensive inside)

To get a complete list please see DFA official website. Once you got all the necessary documents. It’s time to visit the office.

Walkthrough

As soon as you walk towards DFA office, BE ON YOUR GUARD. Immediately, a person will talk to you and will say to you where you should first go when applying for passport. Its a fixer and he’s out to get your money.

How will you know if he’s a Fixer?

• They wear polo barong. The kind of polo barong that security guards wear please see picture.
  
• They have an ID. They have ID saying that they are from DFA. No… They are not from DFA. People from DFA do not work on the streets prying on poor people for money.
• They will show you where to get the application form. The application form is available INSIDE the DFA office on the basketball court GATE 1. Remember that. The people claiming that they will give you application form is true. But this is a fixer we are talking about and they will sell you things that you already have, photo ids, ballpens. On top of that, you can also download the application form on DFA website. So be prepared.
• They will ask you if you already have a photo. Keep in mind, you must have a photo id already before you go to DFA office. The price for passport size photo id within the vicinity of DFA office is a wopping P150 - P300. Where you can only get P60 normally.
• All your documents are wrong. They will try to convince you that all your documents are wrong and you should buy from them or have them “fix” the application for you. No matter what they say, do not believe them. I already experienced being harrassed that my documents are false and they want me to take another photo or wants me to buy their service to fix their application. I just went inside the DFA office and the application was a breeze.
• They have a warning sign that says “NO TO FIXERS” with DFA logo in it. Its a gimmick. Do not be fooled. They are the fixers. You should head to DFA office immediately and do not entertain anyone that comes to talk to you. Its a jungle out there so be on your guard.

Inside DFA Office

If you made it alive inside the DFA office. Great job! Passport application is just easy. There are only 3 steps in passport application. And are categorized by using gates.

Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3.

Gate 1 - Gym

This is where you’ll get the application form and also some validation.

Gate 2

This is where you’ll get the passport for release.

Gate 3

This is where you’ll pay for the passport fee and verification of data. There’s a large sign with gate 3 sign. You won’t miss it.

See this page also.

Final Remarks

Please be on your guard when somebody talks to you especially when you are walking on your way to the DFA office. The most recommended approach to this is to bring everything you need already and go straight to DFA office.

Also, be reminded that even if you’re already inside the DFA office. Be on your guard. Fixer accomplices are still lurking inside wearing security guard uniforms. Well actually, some security guards there are accomplices by other fixers. I was just asking for direction to gate 1 and they want me to go outside DFA office to talk to a fixer.

Having said that. I hope you enjoy this little guide that’s from experience. If you’re applying for job abroad, a passport is a must have. Good luck job hunting.

Lets help our fellow Filipinos not be scammed by telling this information or show them this article. Lets put an end to these fixers and corrupt practices by not being a victim of their crimes. Please pass and share the word.

Thank you!

Recruiters / Recruitment Agencies

They are middlemen in finding employers and giving them workers. It is easier to go to a recruiter or recruitment agency instead of finding work yourself because most of the time, recruitment agencies advertise and have many contacts abroad.

Be CAREFUL

There are lots of illegal recruitment / illegal recruiters lurking around willing to take your money. To make sure that the recruiter or recruitment agency is legitimate (authentic), here are a list of sites where you can enter the name of the recruitment agency to know if they are real or fake.

You may also use this lists to find recruitment agencies near you.

• VERIFY Recruitment Agency List of POEA
• Search For Recruitment Agency

If you don’t find the name on POEA’s website you should be careful.

OFW Services & Procedure

Here is the link where you can get all the necessary instructions and files to file your application. Just visit this link.

• Applying for Korea
• Guidelines of Recruitment & Deployment to Canada
• Temporary Work in Canada
• For Returning Workers
• For Seafarer’s / Seaman
• Direct Hires for Household Workers

A top level Guam Senate team visited the country last week to finalize details on the hiring of 20,000 Filipino skilled workers for the construction of military headquarters in Guam beginning July 2010, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said.

Guam Senators Judith P. Guthertz and Rory J. Respicio held high level talks with Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque and Administrators Jennifer Manalili of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Carmelita Dimzon of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The two legislators also met with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Augusto Syjuco.

Guthertz chairs the Guam legislature’s committee on Guam U.S. military buildup. She is also Guam’s homeland security assistant majority leader. Respicio chairs the Guam legislature committee on rules, natural resources, federal foreign and Micronesia affairs majority leader.

Roque said the visit of the Guam delegation to the country indicated Guam’s preference and intent to hire OFWs to meet its manpower requirements for the relocation and construction of U.S. military facilities from Okinawa to Guam in the next five years.

He said military construction in Guam is scheduled to start in July 2010, which means that hiring and deployment of OFWs to Guam could be simultaneous as construction begins or could even be earlier than July next year.

He said Guam would initially need engineers, architects, allied professionals, and skilled construction workers. But as military buildup continues coupled with the relocation of more military personnel and their families from Okinawa to Guam, it is envisioned that this island U.S territory may also hire OFWs in the service and healthcare sectors.

In view of the bright prospects for OFWs in Guam, Roque said the DOLE and POEA have specified an action agenda for the deployment of OFWs to Guam. On top of the agenda are the adoption of a standard employment contract and the setting up of guidelines on the deployment of Guam-bound OFWs.

POEA is expected to come up with the standard contract and deployment guidelines before the year ends, in accordance with U.S. laws which include the U.S. H2B rule prohibiting the charging of recruitment fee from foreign workers.

Roque said OFWs wanting to work in Guam should be wary of recruiters who may charge them fees, which is a violation of U.S. laws. He reiterated his calls on OFWs to check first with POEA the veracity of overseas job offers and to report to the authorities recruiters charging prohibitive recruitment fees.

Source: DOLE

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said that more than 1,400 employers are actively joining the biggest job fair in the country’s history set during the historic celebration of the 111th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence beginning June 12.

The latest preliminary report reaching Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque, showed that the employers, collectively, will make available almost 400,000 productive local, overseas, and government employment opportunities to new graduates and other job seekers during the nationwide, three-day event dubbed as the “Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job and Livelihood Fair.”

The figure is expected to rise further prior to and during Independence Day. So far, the participating employers include 271 government agencies offering some 62,233 job vacancies, 761 private local employers offering 63,044 job vacancies, and 436 overseas recruitment agencies offering 273,830 land and sea-based opportunities.

Roque said that no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will lead the nationwide commemoration of the 111th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 2009 on the timely and appropriate theme of, “Kagitingan, Kagalingan, at Kasipagan: Tungo sa Tunay na Kalayaan.”

The Labor and Employment Chief said that the three-day main Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job & Livelihood Fair will commence on June 12 until June 14, 2009 at the Rizal Park in Manila, as well as in other convenient venues in 16 regions around the Philippines.

Roque cited the country’s Three Plus (3+) Social Partners (labor, management, government and other sectors) for joining hands with the DOLE in its effort to lead and ensure the success of the country’s 111th Independence Day celebrations, as well as specific sponsors who include the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) and others, for lending their hand in the country’s biggest job fair for the benefit of new graduates and job seekers.

At the Rizal Park, the main job fair, under the supervision of the DOLE’s National Capital Region (NCR) Office, complemented by the Bureau of Local Employment and the BLE-supervised PHIL-JobNet system (www.phil-job.net), along with other agencies, will proceed Infront of the Quirino Grandstand from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily, as follows:

- June 12 (Day 1) - Job Fair for Employment in Government Agencies, which will offer various vacancies including regular positions for job seekers with Civil Service Eligibility and other qualifications, AFP-enlisted personnel positions, as well as short-term emergency employment;

- June 13 (Day 2) - Job Fair for Local Employment, which will highlight jobs in call centers, BPOs, IT services, wholesale and retail, construction, food and beverages, catering, hotels and restaurants, travel and tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and agri-related businesses, and real estate; and,
- June 14 (Day 3) - Job Fair for Overseas Employment, which will feature vacancies for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in land- and sea-based positions from various host nations overseas.

The Labor Chief also said that on top of the main job fair in Luneta for the benefit of job seekers in the National Capital Region (NCR), the various DOLE Regional Offices (ROs) nationwide will supervise job and livelihood fairs in their respective regional areas, as follows:

CAR: June 12-14 / Baguio Convention Center;

Region 1: June 12-14 / CSI City Mall, San Fernando City;

Region 2 - June 12-14 / Cagayan National High School Mamba Gym, Tuguegarao;

Region 3 - June 12-13 / Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium, Malolos; and June 14 - Event Center, SM City, Baliuag;

Region 4-A - June 12-14 / Calamba City Hall, Laguna; June 12 - Kawit Aguinaldo Shrine, Cavite; June 13-14 - Imus Plaza, Cavite; Region 4-B - June 12 / Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro / Calapan City;

Region 5 - June 12-14 / Albay Astrodome, Legazpi City;

Region 6 - June 12-14 / Amigo Plaza Mall Activity Center, Iloilo City;

Region 7 - June 12-14 / SM Cebu City;

Region 8 - June 12-13 / Astrodome, Tacloban City;

Region 9 - June 12 / Summit Center Universidad de Zamboanga, Zamboanga City; June 13 / Molave Gymnasium, Zamboanga del Sur; June 14 / Siay Gymnasium, Zamboanga Sibugay;

Region 10 - June 11-12 / Provincial Capitol Ground, Cagayan de Oro City; June 13-14 / SM Car Park, Cagayan de Oro City;

Region 11 - June 12-14 / NCC Mall, Matina, Davao City;

Region 12 - June 12-14 / Rizal Park, Koronadal City; June 13-14 / KCC Mall Convention Center, Gen. Santos City; CARAGA - June 12-14 / Almond Inland Hotel, Butuan City, and; ARMM - June 12, 2009 / Shariff Aguak.

The specific sponsors to the DOLE-led Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job & Livelihood Fair are Globe-Abot Mo ang Mundo; Asia Brewery; FFCCCII; AMA Education System; Philippine Airlines; RFM Corporation; New Job Market of the Philippine Daily Inquirer; Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor); PHIL-JobNet; and the City of Manila.

Government Agencies To Join Job Fair & Conduct Recruitment on June 12

For the first time, some 85 government agencies including the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will participate and offer more than 47,000 vacancies in the three-day job and livelihood fair which will be held over the weekend in 19 cities nationwide as part of this year’s celebration of the 111th anniversary of Philippine independence.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said the participating government agencies would conduct the recruitment of qualified applicants on June 12, the first day of the three-day event dubbed Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job and Livelihood Fair. The second and third day of the job fair on June 13 and 14 would feature employers and recruitment agencies offering vacancies for local and overseas employment, respectively.

Roque paved the way for the participation of the government agencies in the Kalayaan job fair, which in the past involved only private sector employers seeking skills that meet their requirements.

For the first time, the government will open its vacancies to the public through the Independence Day job fair, Roque said noting that its participation in the job fair would attract more applicants and, thus, enable it to widen its search for the best skills and talents who can contribute in running a more effective bureaucracy.

The participating government agencies would offer thousands of unfilled regular plantilla positions for jobseekers with civil service eligibility, PRC license, and other qualifications. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has the biggest number of unfilled vacancies at 12,000.

Representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would also be at the fair to entertain individuals who want to join the military.

The public sector agencies would also offer more than 30,000 short-term emergency employment for displaced workers, unemployed youth, and jobseekers seeking clerical, technical, and entry-level positions. Topping the agencies with the highest number of available emergency jobs is Department of Education with almost 9,000 followed by the DENR with 675, DND with 3,134, DOLE with 2,581, and DTI with 1,335.

Roque said the hiring of temporary workers by government agencies is part of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s emergency employment program which is being implemented along with pump priming efforts aimed at helping the people cope with the global economic downturn.

He said the President issued Executive Order No. 782 directing all government offices including local government units, government-owned corporations and state schools at the provincial and regional levels to employ temporary workers using 1.5% of their maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).

To facilitate job matching and placement, Roque asked jobseekers to register with the Kalayaan 2009 job fair by logging on to http://phil-job.net for pre-screening by participating employers.

Aside from job matching, the job fair would also allow jobseekers to obtain pre-employment documentation services from the SSS, NBI, NSO, BIR, and DFA. There will also be legal assistance, Libreng Tawag for OFWs (c/o Globe), and technology and skills demonstration as well as livelihood assistance for workers who want to engage in alternative income sources.

Meanwhile, the Kalayaan Concert to be conducted at the Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, Rizal Park, Manila on the evening of June 12, will feature Filipino international singing sensation Ms. Charisse Pimpengco. The late celebrity actor, host and rap singer Mr. Francis Magalona will also be honored for his work that has spawned patriotic ardor among the Filipino youth.

Despite being shaken by the global economic crunch, Korea will continue to hire Filipino workers.

This after Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque and his Korean counterpart, Minister Lee Younghee, signed on 30 May 2009 the Memorandum of Understanding on the Employment Permit System (EPS) which could send up to 5,000 OFWs to Korea within the next ten months.

Witnessed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, the two labor chiefs signed the MOU at the Blue House, venue of the bilateral meeting between Arroyo and Lee.

In a recent survey conducted by the Korea Labor Ministry, Filipinos ranked first in terms of ability to adopt to the Korean society and second in communication skills.

Under the new MOU, the minimum standards set by the Philippine government, such as free accommodation, are ensured thru the POEA’s authority to review contract offers of employers. It likewise minimizes pre-departure cancellation of employment contracts and pre-termination of existing ones by disqualifying employers as well as workers with derogatory records.

Filipino workers also will continue to enjoy pension coverage pursuant to the National Pension Law and shall be entitled to equal treatment with that of Korean workers, including minimum wage and insurance protection.

Aside from the MOU on EPS, the two labor chiefs signed an MOU on Labor and Manpower Development which provides, among others, for the training of workers on-site to better prepare them for their eventual return to the Philippines. There will be exchanges, too of trainers and experts and development of curricula to improve vocational education and training.

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) particularly those in the construction, oil and gas, hotels, and in the medical and other services sectors are needed in Libya, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today said.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque cited a report from Labor Attache Nasser S. Mustafa of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Tripoli which showed that various companies in Libya are currently recruiting thousands of OFWs and even expected to recruit more OFWs in the coming years.

Roque said that for this year, more than 16,000 job opportunities in Libya are available for OFWs as this country continues to be in need of foreign workers for its numerous development projects.

He said that while jobs were lost in countries affected by the global economic crisis, the employment situation in Libya remains upbeat and highly favorable for OFWs.

He said Libya is impervious of the harsh effects of the global crisis due largely to its oil resources, noting that its government continuously focuses on this country’s development with vigor.

Libya is a wealthy nation due to its oil reserves, which is largest in North Africa. Its small population of about six million has enabled its government to provide subsidies and embark on massive development projects funded by huge oil revenues that offer continuous employment opportunities for OFWs.

Right now, Roque said Libya focuses on the construction aspect of its development. He said that Korean firms like Daewoo, Hyundai, and Al Nahr are currently recruiting thousands of OFWs for their development and construction projects in Libya.

He said these firms need Filipino engineers, other professionals, and skilled construction workers for the construction of Libya’s man-made river, hotels, power plants, housing units, and road and renovation projects. Oil firms in Libya have also signified their intention to recruit professionals and skilled oil and gas workers from the Philippines.

The DOLE Chief said that Labor Attache Mustafa is constantly conducting meetings with these companies as well as with other firms in Libya in need of foreign workers to pave the way for the recruitment and deployment of OFWs with appropriate skills to this country.

Roque also noted that the ongoing frenzied construction projects particularly on the establishment of hotels in Libya would mean more employment opportunities for OFWs in the hotel and tourism related sectors in this country.

He said Libya, which is along the Mediterranean and strategically located to serve as transit point for tourists traveling between Africa and Europe, may also in the near future recruit Filipino hotel and related workers to man its developing tourism industry.

Roque added that Filipino doctors and nurses and other medical workers may also be deployed soon to Libya. He said the POLO in Tripoli has started talks with the Libyan health ministry for the recruitment of around 4,000 Filipino medical workers for the Tripoli and Benghazi Medical Centers and other hospitals and clinics in Libya.

The Tripoli-based POLO is also looking up to opportunities for OFWs in Algeria, Chad, Malta, and Morocco particularly in hotel, oil and gas, and technical services sectors.

“The employment prospects in Libya and nearby nations are favorable for OFWs as they continue to be the preferred choice among foreign employers,” Roque said noting that OFWs have become popular abroad not only for their skills, industry, adaptability, and facility with the English language but also especially for their cheery disposition.

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