326 senior citizens, PWDs hired on the spot in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 269 senior citizens and 57 persons with disabilities (PWDs) have been hired on the spot through the Manila City government’s Araw-Araw Job Fair, which began on Jan. 1.

Under an agreement with Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, fast-food establishments in the city are required to hire at least two senior citizens and a PWD for each branch.

“This was not my [original] idea. I copied this project from the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong. If the Americans, Japanese and Chinese can do it, then we Filipinos certainly can,” Moreno said.

Last year, several fast-food chains partnered with the local government of Manila to give jobs to the marginalized.

From July 1 last year to Jan. 23, a total of 522 senior citizens and PWDs were hired in restaurants and several local government offices, thanks to the Manila Public Employment Service Office (Peso), Moreno said. He added that he was grateful to the PWD community, particularly to a group of deaf residents who expressed their thanks for the opportunity to work for the government.

“We tried to apply for work before but we failed because of our [disability] and we lost hope …. We are proud to say we are no longer [a] burden to our parents and in return, we shared our blessings [with] others,” they said in a letter addressed to Moreno last week. They added that they were hopeful they would be given more employment opportunities through Manila’s job program for senior citizens and PWDs, and that more would be allowed to renew their contracts.

According to Peso, there were currently 276 job vacancies in the fast-food industry in Manila. These included service crew, cashiers and management trainees.

Under a 2019 agreement, senior citizens employed in fast-food chains are required to work four hours a day, five days a week while PWDs are given regular eight-hour shifts.