A Philippine government-led tourism job fair is going to proceed with the upcoming signing of a memorandum of understanding this month, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

The DOT will sign the MOU with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Aug. 31, which will pave way for the “Trabaho, Turismo, Asenso! National Tourism Jobs Fair”.

The DOT said this event would provide the much-needed push in the revitalization of the tourism industry’s manpower needs derailed by the pandemic.

“We are prioritizing the provision of employment opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector in response to the severe losses in income and livelihood due to the pandemic, and the present shortage of workforce in the tourism industry,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said.

“The Trabaho, Turismo, Asenso Job Fairs will help our fellow Filipinos find jobs while helping the accommodation and services sector address workforce shortages, resulting in the continued recovery of the tourism industry as a whole,” she added.

The job fair will be a multi-month campaign and will conclude in May 2023, with other initial job fair sites located in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

It will be launched during the Hotels Supplier Show from September 22 to 24 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex.

Based on the draft MOU, the DOT would be tasked to collect relevant job posting information from establishments, ensure the credibility of all participating employers, and, monitor the submission of job fair reportorial requirements of participating establishments.

The DOLE, for its part, would provide appropriate assistance in the conduct of DOT-sponsored job fairs, ensure monitoring and supervision of all job fairs sponsored by the DOT, and, screen the requirements of all participating entities, among others.

Apart from local jobs, career opportunities abroad would also be made available in a separate fair in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers and DOLE.

Earlier, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn sought Frasco’s assistance to help Thailand address its shortage of hotel workers.

“Providing tourism employment opportunities in the Philippines and abroad is important because this will help the thousands of Filipino workers and their families who were displaced or repatriated because of the pandemic,” Frasco said.

“For new graduates and others seeking a career in tourism, this will also open new doors for economic prosperity. Overall, the goal is to balance the need for services of the accommodation sector with the needs for employment of tourism workers, that would lend stability to the tourism industry,” she added. (PNA)