More than 1,100 Senior High School (SHS) graduates were hired on the spot during Labor Day job fairs held nationwide, boosting government efforts to strengthen employment opportunities for K to 12 graduates.
Data released by the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that 1,148 graduates secured jobs immediately from around 11,000 SHS students who participated in the nationwide job fairs.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the results demonstrate the growing employability of SHS graduates and support the administration’s goal of improving education and job readiness among Filipino youth.
“Ang tagumpay na ito ng ating mga SHS graduates ay patunay na tama ang ating tinatahak na landas tungo sa mas magandang kinabukasan para sa kabataang Pilipino,” Angara said.
The successful applicants benefited from dedicated “Green Lanes” established by DepEd and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), allowing graduates to fast-track their applications by presenting only school IDs or certificates of completion.
Among those hired was Angel Balacayo, a graduate of Pacific Southbay College Inc. in General Santos City. Balacayo secured employment at KCC Mall of Gensan during the Region 12 job fair held in Koronadal.
Balacayo said the priority lane system significantly sped up the job application process for SHS graduates.
Angara, who authored Republic Act No. 11261, or the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act, during his term in the Senate, stressed that creating immediate employment opportunities is essential in helping families break free from poverty.
He added that the government aims to expand programs that will equip graduates with the skills and confidence needed to secure decent jobs after finishing senior high school.
The Labor Day hiring figures followed a similar outcome during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair in March, where around 1,400 SHS and Alternative Learning System graduates were also hired.
Meanwhile, around 5,900 graduates have received free pre-employment documents under Republic Act No. 11261, including NBI and police clearances, to help ease their entry into the workforce.