Quake victims urged: Check online job site

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is encouraging victims of last week’s earthquake to apply for jobs posted in PhilJobNet, the government’s job search and job-skill matching online facility.

“Most of the local vacant jobs in Cebu and Bohol are posted there, while the overseas jobs are offered by Cebu-based recruitment agencies licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA),” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz.

Baldoz was in Cebu yesterday to meet with workers, employers and Dole regional officials to look into how the labor department can help workers displaced by the earthquake.

PhilJobNet (www.phil-job.net) has 5,193 local and 3,365 overseas job vacancies posted on its site.

Baldoz said that displaced workers can also visit the nearest Public Employment Service Office (Peso) in their municipal halls and get information about job vacancies.

Websites

Those who have access to the Internet can also visit the PhilJobNet site, www.dole.gov.ph, www.poea.gov.ph or www.ble.dole.gov.ph.

“If they want to avail of the job opportunities, they should upload their personal data sheet or bio-data by registering in the PhilJobNet website because employers are visiting the site everyday to find qualified applicants for their vacancies,” Baldoz said.

Baldoz earlier ordered the POEA, Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) and the Dole Regional Office 7 to mobilize resources, partners and allies and conduct overseas job fairs for workers in earthquake-stricken Bohol and Cebu.

She said job fairs should be held simultaneous with government’s rehabilitation efforts in Cebu and Bohol, particularly in areas where workplaces were hit the hardest and where there could be large concentration of displaced workers.

“It’s better that it’s the POEA with Dole 7 and Public Employment Services Offices (Peso) that will be the first on the ground in facilitating employment of workers in Cebu and Bohol than illegal recruiters who may take advantage of the situation and victimize those who are already victims of this tragedy,” Baldoz added.

OWWA MEMBERS

Meanwhile the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) has identified a total of 15,494 members in Bohol who would need immediate assistance.

“The regional welfare offices of the Owwa in Bohol and Cebu have already identified 3,426 active and 12,078 inactive OWWA members in 28 towns in Bohol classified by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) as badly-hit municipalities, so the OWWA is under instruction to already farm-out rehabilitation and relief assistance to these OWWA members,” Baldoz said.

Baldoz said she already instructed Owwa Administrator Carmelita Dimzon to coordinate with local government units and RDRRMC officials to provide assistance to members of families of OFWs who were displaced and distressed by the earthquake.

“There is no time to be wasted in the effort because Christmas is coming and we don’t want our OFW families, or any Filipino worker for that matter, to be gloomy,” she said.

She added that OWWA can do welfare missions to bring food, water, medicines and other basic necessities and to also provide counseling services to the affected members.