The Department of Information and Communications Technology–Davao Region (DICT-Davao) inaugurated the 10th National ICT Month celebration with a job fair on June 9, bringing together 13 business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. The event aimed to address the region's growing demand for digital workers and support a national target of generating 8 million jobs by 2028.
Held at SM City Davao along Quimpo Boulevard, Davao City, the job fair emphasized the urgent need to connect available talent with employment opportunities in the digital sector. This sector includes BPO employees, IT professionals, software developers, digital service providers, and other workers whose roles depend on information and communications technology.
Digital Workforce Growth in Davao Region
DICT-Davao Regional Director Evamay Dela Rosa noted that the region's digital workforce reached approximately 85,000 full-time workers in 2025, reflecting the industry's continued expansion. Despite this growth, Dela Rosa pointed out that many employers struggle to find suitable candidates while potential applicants remain unaware of existing vacancies.
“We have identified that our BPO companies have a lot of needs for a digital workforce. On the other hand, the digital workforce doesn’t know that these kinds of vacancies actually exist,” Dela Rosa said in an interview with SunStar Davao.
She explained that job fairs help bridge this gap by bringing employers and job seekers together in one venue. “By bringing them together here, we’re able to bridge the gap between the needs of our employers and the needs of job seekers. This will really help our economy,” Dela Rosa added.
Reducing Unemployment Through Job Fairs
Elizabeth O. Badilles, Information Technology Officer I at DICT-Davao and team leader of the National ICT Month Job Fair and Kick-off Ceremony, highlighted that the initiative also contributes to reducing unemployment. “Here, they can see the job hirings and vacancies. So if they get hired, that is already a minus one from the unemployed on the list,” Badilles said.
She noted that the department's employment and digital transformation initiatives align with its broader mission of creating jobs nationwide. “DICT as a whole, the department itself, is actually aiming for 8 million jobs by 2028 to be generated. That is our mission. That's why we are really promoting these job fairs, all these opportunities, and initiatives that could really generate jobs,” Badilles added.
First Applicant Hired on the Spot
The job fair's impact was immediately evident when 25-year-old Key Peter B. Palanca became the first applicant hired on the spot. Palanca secured a customer service representative position at Nadela Business Center, Inc. (SiBS), marking his first successful job fair experience despite having worked several jobs previously.
“This is my first time. I'm so happy that I was hired on the spot,” Palanca said. He attributed his success to remaining calm and confident during the interview process. “Just keep stable, be confident. Don't think about your grammar. Keep your composure,” Palanca advised.
He also emphasized that job fairs simplify the job search process and reduce costs for applicants. “This job fair made it easy for job seekers, since there are multiple employers in one place. You will not go from one place to another, and you will save money from commuting,” he added.
Employer Perspectives on Job Fairs
For employers, the event provided an efficient recruitment platform. SiBS Human Resources Talent Acquisition officer Anja Lindo said Palanca's previous call center experience and communication skills helped him stand out during the hiring process.
“He has call center experience already. And I think he has good communication skills as well since he is applying for a BPO company. The communication skills, as well as how good he answers, or the way he relays his thought organization, that's one of the factors why I hired him on the spot,” Lindo explained.
Lindo stressed that job fairs remain valuable recruitment venues for BPO companies that continuously seek new employees. “It's very important, especially that we, in the BPO industry, are always hiring. If ever we are partnered with this kind of job fairs, we gather a lot of applicants as well as people. It's also important because we can fill in people that we need,” Lindo concluded.
Emotional Impact and Future Plans
Badilles said seeing the first hire-on-the-spot applicant underscored the significance of the event. “I was like teary-eyed when we had the first hire-on-the-spot because that could change the life of that person. So our job fair becomes an avenue for that person to change his life, in terms of financial stability,” she said.
The job fair marked the opening of National ICT Month 2026, which will feature a month-long lineup of activities promoting digital innovation, technology adoption, and workforce development across the region. A separate job fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is scheduled for Friday at the same venue.
