200 jobseekers hired at SM job fair

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly 200 jobseekers were hired on the spot yesterday by various companies during an employment event organized by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Jobs Committee, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Quezon City government and SM City North EDSA.

Around 700 applicants attended the job fair, a program of the joint campaign of the Marcos administration and business groups to bridge job seekers to potential employers.

The job fair was held at the SM City North EDSA Annex Atrium and was attended by Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez, Quezon City Rep. Arjo Atayde, Olivier Belmonte of the Quezon City Council and SM officials.

Benavidez stressed the importance of the government and the private sector working together to generate employment.

The event featured the “hired on the spot” or HOTS bell that rings every time an applicant is employed by a company during the fair.

“SM has been a steadfast partner in facilitating job matching, and this year, we are committed to further contribute to job generation by extending the reach of our job fairs to benefit more individuals across the country,” SM Supermalls assistant vice president Royston Cabunag said during a brief program.

The event is the 12th of SM’s weekly job fairs staged in various malls nationwide that will continue until the end of the year in cooperation with DOLE, PSAC Jobs Committee, local government units, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation and other industry groups.

SM also partnered with JobStreet for digital job matching to provide more opportunities for employers and job seekers.

SM Retail Inc. chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson leads the job-matching efforts of the PSAC jobs committee.

The Presidential Communications Office, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, earlier reported that the number of employed Filipinos reached 50.52 million in December 2023, with 0.88 million jobs generated since the preceding November.