By CESAR JOLITO III

Sixteen jobseekers were hired on the spot during the Christmas Job Fair organized by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) – Bacolod at the Bacolod City Government Center on Sunday, December 21.

Among those immediately employed was John Sidrian Arguelles of Barangay Banago, who secured a mason position with a construction firm after being unemployed for two months.

Arguelles, a former service crew member, said he did not expect to land a job on the same day he applied, especially just days before Christmas.

The employment opportunity, he added, would help him support his family, particularly his seven-month-old daughter.

PESO-Bacolod coordinator Jovelyn Canoy said the annual Christmas Job Fair was conducted in line with Mayor Greg Gasataya’s directive to strengthen employment access for Bacolodnons during the holiday season, a period when expenses typically increase.

Canoy emphasized that the city government remains committed to job generation and employment facilitation, noting that job fairs continue to serve as a direct bridge between employers and applicants.

More than 40 companies participated in the one-day job fair, which forms part of PESO-Bacolod’s broader employment program targeting up to 6,000 jobseekers in the city.

Data from PESO-Bacolod showed that from January to November 21, 2025, over 700 companies offered a combined total of 112,155 job vacancies, resulting in the hiring of 1,585 individuals through the city’s employment facilitation services./CJ, WDJ