By Anthony A. Araos
In response to the challenges faced by folks from the unemployment problem, municipal governments (even the provincial government) in Ifugao have usually resorted to conducting job fairs.
During the Lagawe fiesta, a job fair was held at the plaza for this purpose.
Job fair chores can be very tiring, but having the right personnel at the right time will definitely be helpful to the cause. And it makes their work somehow easier. Is that all?
Truthfully, however, there is little weight to job fairs, especially in the light of present-day conditions of the people. Fact: In 2022 alone, we have 26 million Filipinos in poverty, surely struggling to stay alive. They need jobs.
Thousands of Ifugao folks have very little in their lives. They need jobs.
Countless of Lagawe individuals are living in poverty. They need jobs.
Unemployment rate in Lagawe (as well as in the other ten Ifugao towns) is expected to rise up during the energy crisis.
This crisis has adversely affected every aspect of society, which could exacerbate the unemployment issue and necessitate adjustments to cope up with the high cost of living. Sadly, hardest hit are vulnerable communities.
Why is it that no one here is talking about the joblessness problem? Why is it that at job fairs LGU personnel are rejoicing on top of their voices when an applicant has been hired on the spot? On that day, at about 2 pm only six were hired. Is it because the applicants can’t get decent jobs in the capital town?
I have so much belief that there is a far better approach to solving the problem. Thus, I’m strongly pushing for sustained efforts to lower unemployment, provide quality jobs and upgrade the skills of workers. This truly aligns with honest-to-goodness efforts to increase job opportunities.
Solving the unemployment woes is not about filling up application forms and undergoing interviews. Far from it!
What on earth is that chants of praises for seasonal jobs? Seasonal up stick on jobs only occur for a very short period of time.
It would do wonders for the government to focus instead on creating quality jobs. High-quality jobs bring bulk on the sentiments for maintaining highly-skilled individuals. Therefore, there is a need to prioritize the upskilling and reskilling of the workforce to equip them with higher competencies by expanding learning opportunities in lifetime.
Now, all of these efforts to offer jobs (such as the ones offered by Lepanto Mining or Summit Bank) wouldn’t really matter much if there is jobs mismatch. Unfortunately, there’s always going to be such a risk in activities as this one. Provision of quality, good-paying jobs is helpful for folks, most especially those experiencing unbearable poverty in remote villages, to gain better lives. This is a tipping point for those in the countryside. **
