Aspiring OFWs swamp POEA jobs fair

MANILA, Philippines - Aspiring overseas Filipino workers on Wednesday flocked to the jobs fair held at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) building in Mandaluyong City. In celebration of EDSA Revolution’s 23rd anniversary, about 16 land-based and 5 sea-based agencies are currently at the POEA lobby, BFO building, EDSA corner Ortigas Ave. in Mandaluyong City recruiting potential workers for deployment overseas. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo went to the event, saying that the Philippines remains a favorite manpower source for jobs overseas. The POEA has said that it still deploys 3,000 OFWs daily and that 400,000 jobs are still available for Filipinos abroad. “[There are] sectors affected, that’s correct, but there are also other sectors that are opening up, opening their doors to migrant workers, also to Filipinos," POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili has said. The POEA said qualified applicants in the jobs fair have the chance to work as engineers, forklift operators, painters , shift supervisors, nurses, waiters, waitresses, receptionists, firefighters, crew members, electricians, technicians, welders, laborers, accountants; Also available are jobs for administrative assistants, clerks, butchers, carpenters, trainees, domestic helpers, engineers, architects, secretaries, timekeepers, re-barmen, riggers, pipe fitters, operator, drivers, foremen, optical/x-ray technicians, auto painters, salesmen; Lab assistants, managers, cooks, cashiers, factory workers, controller clerks, designers, draftsmen, scaffolding charge hands, chefs, hotel crew, staff workers, servers, account/marketing executives, sales executives, analysts, upholsterers, timekeepers, site technicians, crane operators, and seafarers. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV