Construction, BPO industries continue to hire more workers

The booming construction and call center industries in Central Visayas have helped lower the unemployment rate in the region.

Regional Labor Director Exequiel Sarcauga, said on Thursday that Region 7 achieved the lowest unemployment rate in its history at 6.2 percent.

Sarcauga said both industries were the saving areas for employment in the region.

Thousands are hired as construction of buildings continues and BPO companies continue to invest.

Sarcauga said that the office was not expecting a big effect on the region from the recent riots in London and the downgrade of the US credit rating in terms of hiring of workers from those countries.

Since 2008, there were only a few workers who were sent to Europe and the US.

He, however, assured those workers who would end up coming home of available jobs for them.

He said he would continue the labor department’s program for several Filipinos coming home from countries in the Middle East experiencing political turmoil.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in Central Visayas (POEA-7) said the office monitored the the Filipino seafarers employed in yachts based in Europe following the recent riots in London.

POEA-7 Regional Director Evelia Durato said that job orders from Europe were never regular compared to that of the Middle East.

She said even before the global financial crisis in 2008, when Europe asked for a few caregivers and nurses.

The job orders were all short-lived.

Durato said the regular job orders the office received from Europe were for seamen to work as crews for yachts owned by rich families./Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla