KORONADAL CITY — This year's Labor Day celebration in Region 12 will be highlighted with two job fairs and a livelihood assistance project, an official of the Department of Labor and Employment said.

DOLE 12 OIC Regional Director Patricio Blanza, on Friday announced that on Labor Day job fairs will be held in General Santos City, and Kidapawan City. The agency will also launch a livelihood assistance program in South Cotabato.

DOLE 12 have been advising job seekers to go to their field offices to fill out pre-application registration form, which may help guide the agency match the qualifications of the local labor force with the companies and agencies that will be invited to the Labor Day job fairs.

DOLE 12 hopes to increase the percentage of applicants who will be hired on-the-spot during the job fairs on May 1.

Residents of North Cotabato may register at the DOLE field office in Kidapawan City while job seekers in General Santos City, South Cotabato and Sarangani may register at the field office in General Santos City.

They may also register at the nearest Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

"South Cotabato has not yet decided to conduct job fairs but we will be launching the Integrated Livelihood Program Towards Community Enterprise Development here," Blanza said.

"Through the Integrated Livelihood Program, DOLE will be providing assistance to peoples organizations and individuals who wish to venture into income-generating projects," he said.

Among the first organizations who will benefit from the assistance are rural workers associations in the municipalities of South Cotabato, including Koronadal City.

Initial individual beneficiaries are the identified partners of DOLE 12 in the Kabuhayan Livelihood Program, he explained. (PIA 12)