Davao City Ramps Up Employment Initiatives with Ambitious 2026 Job Fair Schedule
The City Government of Davao has announced a significant expansion of its employment services for 2026, with the Public Employment and Services Office (Peso) leading an intensified drive to create more job opportunities for residents. This initiative builds on last year's successful efforts and aims to set new records in connecting Dabawenyos with both local and international employment prospects.
Ambitious Targets and Strategic Planning
Lilibeth Pantinople, head of Peso, revealed that the office has already lined up multiple job fairs for the first quarter of 2026, with the explicit goal of surpassing the 41 job fairs conducted in the previous year. "For this year, we have job fairs lined up to be conducted in the first quarter because we want to surpass the 41 job fairs we held last year," Pantinople stated in a mix of English and Cebuano, emphasizing the city's commitment to expanding employment opportunities for all residents.
Comprehensive Job Fair Schedule Across Multiple Locations
The 2026 job fair series will kick off with events at various strategic locations throughout Davao City:
- January 30, 2026: Barangay Crossing Bayabas Toril Covered Court
- February 6, 2026: Mintal District Hall
- February 13, 2026: Calinan Gym, Davao City
- February 25 and March 11, 2026: SM Ecoland
This distributed approach ensures that job opportunities reach different communities across the city, making employment services more accessible to residents in various districts.
Strong Employer Participation and Diverse Job Openings
Pantinople confirmed that at least 30 companies have already committed to participate in the upcoming job fairs, including:
- 20 local companies offering positions such as customer service representatives, sales and retail employees, delivery and logistics personnel, marketing officials, and technicians
- 10 overseas employers seeking workers including nurses, cleaners, salon workers, production workers, and welders
This diverse range of opportunities caters to job seekers with varying skill sets and career aspirations, from entry-level positions to specialized technical roles.
Onsite Registration and Preparation Guidelines
In a departure from digital registration trends, Peso will conduct onsite registration only for these job fairs. Pantinople explained this approach provides job seekers with direct access to employers without requiring individual visits to company offices. She offered practical advice for applicants: "For job seekers who want to join this job fair, we are not doing online application registration, so you can go directly to the venue. They should wear business attire and bring sets of documents, so they don't have to get them photocopied. At least three sets, in case they might want to apply to many places."
City Leadership's Commitment to Employment Programs
Councilor Enzo Villafuerte, Chairperson of the Committee on Social Services, emphasized the city's ongoing dedication to employment programs, noting that the job fair series represents one of Davao's flagship projects. "It's yearly. This is one of the flagship projects that we aimed at bringing our employers closer to our provincial employees, just like other projects. To all job seekers, we hope to see you there," Villafuerte stated, highlighting the program's continuity and strategic importance in bridging the gap between employers and job seekers.
The intensified employment drive reflects Davao City's proactive approach to economic development and social welfare, positioning employment services as a cornerstone of municipal governance. By bringing job opportunities directly to communities through strategically located events, the city aims to reduce unemployment and underemployment while supporting both local businesses and international labor markets.
