For Lyca S. Ali, whose mother has spent years as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia, a single day at a Koronadal City gymnasium changed her prospects entirely. She was one of 11 applicants offered jobs immediately by local employers at the T’nalak Job Fair, walking away with employment rather than just a lead.
“Napakalaki po ng aking pasasalamat sa programa ng DMW. Dahil sa job fair na ito, na-hire on the spot po ako. Malaking tulong ito para sa akin at sa aming pamilya, lalo na bilang anak ng isang OFW,” Ali, a resident of Lake Sebu, said.
Local hiring, though, was only one slice of what the July 27, 2026 event laid out. Six recruitment agencies — all licensed and accredited by the Department of Migrant Workers — brought more than 3,000 positions abroad to the floor, with openings spread across Germany, Japan, Croatia, and additional foreign markets. The businesses that hired directly on-site included KCC Mall, Gaisano Mall, Mall of Ace, Forest Lake, and Phil-Invest.
The gathering at the South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center drew 1,236 jobseekers and stakeholders, and organizers tied it to two milestones: the province’s 60th Foundation Anniversary and the 27th T’nalak Festival.
Running the fair was the National Reintegration Network under DMW Region XII, a coalition of government offices and partner groups built to deliver hiring assistance, reintegration support, and welfare services to overseas Filipino workers and the families they leave behind.
Applicants could also tap a wide roster of frontline government services gathered under one roof, from the Commission on Higher Education and the technical agencies to housing, health, and welfare offices — among them the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Housing Authority, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Pag-IBIG Fund, PhilHealth, and TESDA.
Assistant Regional Director Jeanette E. Escaño framed the day as something larger than a hiring drive. “This Job Fair is more than an employment event; it is a bridge connecting aspiring overseas Filipino workers to safe, legal, and meaningful opportunities abroad. Through the strong partnership among the Department of Migrant Workers, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, our partner agencies, and participating employers, we continue to bring government services closer to our people and help them build a better future for themselves and their families,” she said.
Safe and legal channels sit at the center of that pitch — the accreditation requirement for every participating agency was meant to steer applicants away from the illegal recruitment that has long shadowed the overseas labor market.
