As part of the National Women’s Month celebration, the Naga City Council for Women, in partnership with the Metro Naga Public Employment Service Office (PESO), hosted a Local and Overseas Job Fair last Marcha 21, 2025 (Friday) at SM City Naga. The event, which ran from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, offered job seekers an opportunity to explore both local and international employment prospects.
The event was a collaborative effort between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), with a special focus on supporting women as they pursue career opportunities. The job fair aimed to provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, and was open to all job seekers.
Roderick Reforsado, the Department Head of Metro Naga PESO, shared that job fairs like this are vital to PESO’s mission to facilitate employment. “One of our core responsibilities is employment facilitation, and job fairs serve as an excellent strategy for linking job seekers with potential employers,” Reforsado explained. He also mentioned that Metro Naga PESO implements three major programs: employment facilitation, self-employment facilitation, and employability enhancement, with yesterday’s event being a key example of these efforts.
The job fair offered 1,199 available vacancies, with 995 from local employers and an additional 204 from overseas recruitment agencies. Job seekers were able to browse job openings in various industries, including retail, customer service, finance, contracting, and more.
Among the employers participating was NFEZ Inc., a distributor of fuels and lubricants for Petron. Emmeline Faye Nagarra, an HR Associate from NFEZ Inc., highlighted the benefits of job fairs in recruiting qualified individuals for their company. “We’ve had great success at job fairs, particularly in recruiting employees for our Petron branches,” Nagarra said. “It’s a win-win situation: we fill our vacancies, and job seekers, especially from Naga City and Cam Sur, find new employment opportunities.”
First-time job fair applicant Jumer Kent Lipata shared his experience of participating in the event. “I was exploring different job opportunities outside of my usual customer service role, and this event gave me the chance to meet employers directly. I think it’s very effective for job seekers like me,” Lipata remarked.
The event provided applicants a chance to meet with employers face-to-face, and many were hired on the spot.
Yesterday’s job fair was part of a broader series of events celebrating National Women’s Month in Naga, aimed at empowering women and fostering gender equality in the workplace. The Naga City Council for Women is actively advocating for equal rights and opportunities for women through various programs and initiatives.
Written by Katelyn Ann Munda, Aaliyah Nicole Ablero and Samantha Nicole Bernardo (CEPPIO, Interns). Photo taken by Jonathan Noble (CEPPIO).
