Around 17,000 job opportunities will be up for grabs in the government’s caravan next month to help workers displaced by the closure of the Hanjin shipyard at the Subic Bay Freeport.
Anna Mae Lamentillo, chairperson of the “Build, Build, Build” committee, said the job caravan related to the massive infrastructure program would be held on Feb. 9 at the Subic gymnasium.
“Ang nakalagay sa portal ay 17,000 jobs. We expect at least 75 contractors will be participating doon sa ating caravan,” she said. “The BBB Jobs Caravan is the government’s immediate response for the would-be affected workers of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines, known as HHIC Philippines,” she added.
Citing figures from the Department of Labor and Employment, Lamentillo said the number of Hanjin workers dropped to 3,745 from 17,307 in March 2018.
“We expect that the Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Caravan will be able to provide jobs doon po sa mga displaced workers natin dito po sa closure,” she said.
Based on DoLE profiling, she said carpentry has the highest number of skilled workers at 1,801 representing 65 percent of the displaced workers, followed by welders at 661 or 24 percent, and workers with computer skills at 180 or six percent.
“Ongoing pa po ang profiling and we are also conducting pre-registration now for all the affected employees,” she said.
The public is also invited to participate in the jobs caravan next month, she said.
She said the BBB jobs caravan would be participated in by the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of National Defense, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
The South Korean shipbuilder recently filed for rehabilitation amid ballooning debts to Philippine and Korean lenders. Thousands of Filipino workers reportedly lost their jobs due to the company’s bankruptcy. (Genalyn Kabiling)
