MARIKINA CITY - CIC and other government agencies should work together in creating new job opportunities for Filipinos, according to the Chief of Bureau of Local Employment, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Ms. Ana Liza M. Ragos.
Under the Employment Service Management Programs Division (ESPMD), DOLE and DTI in partnership with Congressman Bayani F. Fernando, Representative of the 1st of District of Manila, Mayor Marcy R. Teodo of Marikina and Ms. Lian de Leon, President of Kahanga-hangang Pilipinas, launched its first "Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan" (TNK) Job and Business Fair held in Riverbanks Activity Center Marikina City to which CIC had participated.
A total of 191 (11.4%) out of 1,675 registered applicants people were hired on the spot (103 female and 88 male), including a 62-year old carpenter named Rolando Sardenia.
Commitment to Livelihood Needs of the Filipinos
With the theme "Kasipagan, Katapatan, Kagalingan, Karangalan (4ks) Para sa Ganado sa Pag-Asenso" the job fair was also attended by CIC's three of its four Special Accessing Entities (SAEs); CIBI Information Inc., CRIF Philippines, and TransUnion Information Solutions.
According to DOLE Chief Ragos “This is actually the first time that we adopted the TNK concept with DTI in this undertaking and to have the Credit Information Corporation introduce its services to the public,” She also recognizes how vital it is to work together with agencies to make their goal of providing employment opportunities to Filipinos achievable.
We can't do it alone – Ragos
The TNK Employment and Entrepreneurial Job and Business Far represents the government’s new employment strategy of combining job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, formalization and growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), reduction of the youth unemployment rate, education, and training.
Ragos added that “We organize the job fairs; the local government helps bring in the people to the job fairs. Right now, the Administration has a target of 7.5 million jobs to fill in the next six years. Not everyone will end up being employed. How else will they make a living? They get into business, they become entrepreneurs. This is where the DTI and the CIC come in.”
About ten thousand job vacancies were offered by the 96 employers who joined the event in Marikina City. The TNK Job Fair also featured learning sessions on labor education such as employment coaching, workers’ rights and benefits and DOLE’s livelihood programs.
Business Opportunities for Filipinos
DTI, on the other hand, held entrepreneurial sessions around the themes “How to Start and Grow a Business” and “Business Start-Ups with Minimum Capital." Over 1,200 participants attended the learning sessions. CIC President and CEO Jaime Garchitorena took the opportunity to explain how aspiring entrepreneurs could make use of the credit reports that will be generated by the organization in helping them obtain working capital to start their own business.
Credit Information System (CIS) to be available by 2018
Beginning May this year, the CIC will be opening its Credit Information System (CIS) for beta testing. Filipinos who have loans and other credit exposures to any of the CIC’s submitting entities are highly encouraged to update their account information, including their identification as early as now, in order for them to enjoy the full benefits of CIC’s CIS when it is officially launched in 2018.
By 2022, the government expects to generate 7.5 million jobs in key employment generating sectors such as manufacturing, food processing, construction tourism, information-technology business process management, transportation and logistics and retail trade, leading to a single-digit unemployment rate of 5 percent.