Cebu City – Ruben Cuizon had to take the first boat trip from Talibon, Bohol, to Cebu City yesterday to try his luck and find a job at the Manila Bulletin Classifieds Job Fair at the SM City Mall.
He arrived in Cebu at around 8 a.m. and had to line up for registration along with thousands of other job seekers. But Cuizon is not just an ordinary job hunter. He is 53 years old and owns a furniture shop in Talibon.
“My furniture business is barely enough to send my kids to college,” said Cuizon, who only carried a few documents. While two of his children have already finished college, the other two are still in college, he said.
Cuizon was working on a piece of furniture when he noticed the advertisement about the two-day Manila Bulletin Jobs Fair and became interested to apply for a carpentry-related job.
“It was a long journey for me to be here and I hope to get hired,” Cuizon said. He was set to return to Talibon yesterday afternoon after submitting his application form.
He said his age could become a factor for him not to get hired, but he assured employees that he still can do carpentry and masonry works.
The 6th Manila Bulletin Classifieds Job Fair has attracted thousands of job seekers, both fresh graduates and experienced workers. While the two-day job fair was intended for applicants from Cebu, there were job seekers, like Cuizon, who came from other provinces.
Former hotel manager Raul Rosas, 51, had been looking for a job in Cebu after leaving Surigao City. While he did not disclose the reason why he quit being a hotel manager, Rosas said he was still hopeful to get an accounting job.
Cuizon and Rosas seemed to have stood out from among the throngs of applicants who were seeking jobs during the opening of the job fair. They were seriously looking for work and their age seemed to have not blended with the crowd, mostly composed of young fresh graduates.
The two applicants took inspiration on the message of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who officially opened the job fair. Rama said unemployment is only for those who quit looking for work.
“It is possible to land a job? Yes, as long as you don’t stop searching. If you will not be chosen immediately, continue looking for that job,” Rama said.
Rama thanked the Manila Bulletin for organizing the job fair which, he said, gives hopes to those who are still unemployed. He also thanked the exhibitors and the companies joining in the two-day job fair.
Manila Bulletin’s Vice President for Classified and Advertising Department Lyne Abanilla urges Cebuanos to join and apply for jobs that are available in the two-day job fair. Cebu, she said, was chosen for the Visayas leg of the fair because Cebu is next to Manila and the province is a gateway to around two-thirds of the country.
“Whether you are a senior citizen or a first graduate, let this be the start of your new career,” she said during the opening ceremony.
Abanilla said the Manila leg of the job fair produced a total of 447 applicants who were hired on the spot. She expressed hope that the same number could also be hired for the Cebu leg.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 7 assistant regional director Lelia Estellore, who graced the opening ceremony, lauded the Manila Bulletin for hosting the Jobs Fair.
“We have been partnering with local government units and the private sector to hold jobs fair to create more opportunities for job seekers,” she said. 

Source: Manila Bulletin - September 25, 2013