Goldenstate College, City Hall conduct jobs fair

By Ian John M. Lagare

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (10 March 2014)  - Thousands of jobseekers flooded the KCC Convention Center on Friday (March 07) for the 8th Annual Jobs Fair organized by Goldenstate College Inc. in partnership with the city government and other government agencies. 

According to Josie Yap-Tirador, Goldenstate College Inc. president, there were 76 private companies who participated in the jobs fair this year offering various job opportunities.

She added that she is thankful to City Mayor Ronnel Rivera in his effort to attract more investors to come into the city by creating a healthy business atmosphere.

Mayor Rivera came to the jobs fair to discuss to the jobseekers and other stakeholders the direction of the current administration is taking to mitigate the unemployment rate and other economic concerns as a whole.

In the "CLEAN GenSan" (Creating a Livable Environment for All Generals towards Nation building) platform, Mayor Rivera said that one of his aims is to help the city's economy through various non-traditional means such as the amendment of GenSan's investment code, involvement in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and linkage with various business and economic stakeholders in the city. 

Rivera also bared that in the coming ASEAN Integration in 2015, he would showcase GenSan as an economic and strategic entry point in the south.

Tirador explained that the jobs fair is an exercise of accountability to address the unemployment problem of the country.

A survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) had found out that as of February 2014, the unemployment rate of the country has risen to 27.5% or 12.1 million.

Tirador said that in GenSan alone, there are an estimated 7,000 fresh college graduates every year and their employment is a looming issue being addressed with the help of government agencies, non-government organizations and private companies.

 Tirador said the influx of new investors can generate more jobs, filling up the gaps of unemployment. (GENSAN INFO OFFICE/Ian John M. Lagare)