Ullalim trade fair sales 52%; 35 hired

By Geraldine G. Dumallig and Larry Lopez

TABUK CITY, Kalinga --Thirty five job applicants are now looking forward to their employment after they were hired on the spot  during the recently conducted 2014 Ullalim Jobs Fair.

According to Department of Labor and Employment Kalinga Chief Dr. Alexander Gumabol, around 259 applicants were interviewed during the jobs fair conducted from Feb. 12 to 13 as part of the 19th Kalinga Founding Anniversary and 2014 Ullalim Festival celebration.

The event was attended by seven recruitment agencies: Mr. Donut, Good Day Recruitment Inc., STD Overseas Manpower Services. Inc., Greenworld Placement Services, Metro Global Search international Network Corp.  and Emerald International Manpower Service Corp. They  offered a total of 1,816 vacancies.

Gumabol commended the provincial government for supporting the jobs fair which had become an annual event of the Ullalim Festival to give  a chance to the skilled workers in the province find jobs.

“We have a high qualification rate in the province considering that every year we produce skilled workers through the TESDA and other institutions. With this we could be sending more people to work which could indirectly help improve the province’s economic situation,” he said.

He explained that if a hundred individual are sent overseas in one year, this would not only translate to helping improve the socio-economic  status of  their families,  but it  would also bring dollar remittances for the province.

This  activity  could save fare and time  of OFWs during since they would no longer have to go outside the province just to look for recruitment agencies.

“Offering jobs fair would also prevent them from being victimized by illegal recruiters since only those duly registered by the OWWA are invited to attend recruitment activities,” he said. This, as the 2014 Ullalim agro-industrial trade fair sales is up by 52 percent compared to last year.  

Records from the Provincial Trade and Industry Office, lead organizer of the event, showed exhibitors in this year’s Ullalim fair raked-in P3,016,399 over the P1,973,745 sales in 2013 or an increase of P1,042,654.

 Noryn Bagano of DTI-Kalinga attributed the fair’s improved sales performance to innovations made by organizers this year.

 Exhibitors this time were given two weeks  to display their wares compared to the usual seven-days fair  that highlight the annual celebration of the province’s Founding Anniversary and Ullalim Festival on February 14.

Organizers also counted as factor the more accessible site of the fair at the side of the newly completed six-lane highway  where buyers need not travel in going up to the Provincial Capitol grounds  where the fair used to be hosted.

 Top sellers of the fair come from the gifts, toys, house-wares and décor sector with P926,619; furniture and furnishings – P839,150 and processed food and wines – P497,624.

Other performers include the sector on other products – P386,841; ornamentals – P366,165 and super Kalan – P70,000.

Bagano encouraged other exhibitors to participate in the event next year under DTI’s continuing product marketing program to promote micro, small and medium enterprise in the province