Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Job Fair + Skills E-hub

Thank you to our DICT Secretary, Secretary Henry Aguda.

[Please everyone, take your seats.]

Our constant host, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano; the lead of the PSAC or – the PSAC is what… Kung makita ninyo, mayroon dito nakalagay na PSAC. That is the Private Sector Advisory Council.

Ito po ‘yung council na nagbibigay ng tulong sa pamahalaan at pinapa –nakikipagkonsulta kami sa mga negosyante para maging maayos ang ating ekonomiya.

‘Yan po ay ang head ng Private Sector Advisory Coun – lead of the Private Sector Advisory Council when it comes to jobs, ‘yung ating kaibigan, si Mr. Joey Concepcion na napakatagal na. I think for the – for the majority of his adult life, he has been working on this, on small businesses and we see the effects of that hard work that he has put in.

Ang maganda kay Joey, talagang he means it. Talagang this is his advocacy, it is his passion, and we thank him for all the assistance that he has provided with us.

And of course, the SM Investment Corporation, Vice Chairperson Tessie Coson. Another very, very valuable and important partner of the government. Kasama din siya po sa PSAC at marami…Itong mga ganitong mga job fair ay ginagawa niya talaga sa lahat ng mga mall ng SM at kaya’t nagpapasalamat kami.

Magpapasalamat lahat ng mga nandito na dumaan sa job fair na nagkaroon na ng trabaho at nagkaroon lang ng trabaho dahil nga sa mga job fair na ino-organize natin together with the government, together with the private sector such as Joey Concepcion and Tessie.

Sa SM Supermalls President Steven Tan; mga kasamahan ko sa pamahalaan; mga kababayan, magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

We reaffirm today what is possible when the public and the private sectors come together with a shared purpose: to uplift the lives of our people.

Time and time again, this partnership has proven to be one of the strongest drivers of national development. Today is no exception.

Since 2023, our partnership with the Private Sector Advisory Council or PSAC through its Trabaho Para sa Bayan or Job Opportunities Building Skills has opened many doors to Filipinos.

We have organized more than 5,000 job fairs across the country, reaching over 1.3 million job seekers and helping more than 200,000 – 200,000 of them who get hired-on-the-spot.

In these times, when many Filipinos are having a hard time finding employment that matches their skills, their interests, and their aspirations, we recognize that it is our responsibility to ensure that assistance is something that meets them wherever they are.

Kaya po nandito tayo ngayon upang gawing mas madali, abot-kamay, at makabuluhan ang pagkakataong maghanap ng trabaho, madagdagan ang kasanayan, at magsimula ang kabuhayan.

Through the partnership of SM, DOLE, and DICT, we are holding this Job Fair + Skills e-Hub here at SM MOA Music Hall. DOLE is simultaneously holding job fairs in eight other sites nationwide. Hindi lang po dito kung hindi sa ibang – iba’t ibang lugar sa buong Pilipinas.

This hub brings together a large-scale job fair and digital upskilling.

Bakit natin napapag-usapan lagi ang upskilling? Dahil ang trabaho ngayon ay mabilis ang pagbabago at ang mga pangangailangan ng marurunong na gawin ang trabahong ‘yan.

Tayong lahat ay nararamdaman natin ang bilis ng takbo at ng progreso ng teknolohiya.

Kaya’t lahat ng sektor ng ekonomiya ay kailangang – kailangan ng – kailangan makapaghanap ng kanilang mga manggagawa, mga kanilang mga magiging empleyado na mayroon silang natutunan na mga skills training para bagay ‘yung kanilang alam doon sa kanilang nagiging – magiging trabaho. Kaya’t napakahalaga ‘yung ating tinatawag na upskilling.

Kaya’t para makarami ang bagong trabaho at makarami ang makakahanap ng trabaho dito sa mga on – dito sa ating mga job fair eh kailangan din natin bigyan sila ng training para gayon nga mababagay ang kanilang kaalaman doon sa mga requirement ng ating mga employer.

Kayo po ay ‘yung iba po dito mayroon ng – mayroon na rin po rito tayo, hired-on-the-spot dahil eh napaka – nakapag-training na po sila at handa na sila pumasok sa labor market, handa na sila makipagsapalaran dahil mayroon na silang bagong skills, mayroon na silang bagong kaalaman para pumasok diyan sa ganiyang klaseng trabaho.

Our partners from the Asia Pacific College, the National University, and IBM, nandidito po sila. They are here to showcase their digital upskilling stations and demonstrate AI training—proof, once again, that the Filipino worker can and should not only adapt to the digital future but to thrive in that digital future.

At the same time, just a few steps away at Ayala Malls by the Bay, we are hosting today a holiday MSME bazaar that celebrates the creativity, the determination, and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Filipino.

Every booth here tells a story. A story of dreams pursued, of lessons learned, and of triumphs earned. These are the kinds of narratives that fuel our belief that small businesses, when supported, can become engines of national growth.

Meanwhile, sa Robinsons Manila, we have organized a JG Group Job Fair, alongside the Lingkod Pinoy Government Agencies Caravan, Go Negosyo mentoring sessions, and PhilPost ID services and stamp exhibits.

All of these is designed to make it easier for job seekers to process their requirements and to receive assistance in one convenient place.

Today, the DOLE also released the payout of qualified Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged / Displaced workers.

At the same time, the Department – DOLE has also provided bigasan enterprises, 19 sacks of rice, [which] will help to serve not only as seed capital, but as a meaningful boost to their daily operations.

Together with this, the DOLE also awarded checks under [Adjustment] Measures Program for five MSMEs. We hope that government assistance will help you grow your businesses, improving enterprise viability, competitiveness, and productivity.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of our private sector partners, including our mall partners, the Private Sector Advisory Council or PSAC.

By organizing this event, the PSAC shows that they are not merely advisers but contributors who are more than willing to work with the government in advancing the nation’s priorities and their aspirations.

Sa tulong ninyong lahat, napapalapit natin ang mga oportunidad sa bawat Pilipino upang magkaroon ang bawat isa ng mas maginhawa, mas maunlad, at mas masaganang buhay.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us pray that the opportunities before you today encourage you to learn new competencies, enrich your experiences, share your talents with your communities.

To our job seekers: make the most of this moment. Equip yourselves with new skills, be open to new ways of doing things.

The global workforce is changing very,very quickly—but I believe the Filipino will keep pace, even lead, when given the right support and the right opportunities.

To our entrepreneurs: This is your stage. Show the excellence, the creativity, the innovation that define the Filipino spirit.

Use this occasion to build partnerships, explore new ideas, and envision bigger possibilities.

Be assured this Administration will continue to create a fair, transparent, and enabling business environment—one that encourages both local and foreign investments, and rewards persistence with progress.

Sama-sama nating buuin ang isang Bagong Pilipinas kung saan ang mga pagkakataon at oportunidad ay mas malapit sa mamamayan; ang ugnayan ng pampubliko at pribadong sektor ay mas pinatatag; at ang ating pag-asenso ay abot-kamay para sa lahat Pilipino.

Maraming, maraming salamat at mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!

Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat!

[applause]

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