MALLING might not be such a good idea for jobless people as they probably won’t have the means to go shopping.

But on Monday next week, they must go to the malls to find employment.

In celebration of Labor Day, a nationwide job fair will be held in various commercial malls led by SM and Robinsons.

Some 60,000 jobs are up for grabs, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.

In Las Pinas, one might be lucky to find a friend – Director Red Garcia of the local government’s Public Employment Office who is very helpful to people looking for livelihood – in South Mall or Robinsons Place.

Other malls in seven cities of Metro Manila are supporting the event headed by DOLE. These are SM Grand Central in Caloocan, SM BF and SM City Sucat, Parañaque; Vista Mall in Taguig ; SM City in Marikina; San Andres Gym in Manila and QC Quadrangle in Quezon City.

Prior to this, a job fair will be held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay on April 30.

Aside from Metro Manila, other regions will be hosting their own job fairs — Cordillera Administrative Region (SM City Baguio and Baguio Convention Center); Ilocos Region (Provincial Farmers Livelihood Development Center in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur); Pangasinan (PESO Multipurpose Hall in Lingayen, Orbos Gym in Sta. Barbara; and Magic Mall, Urdaneta City.

Job fairs will also be held in Cagayan Valley at SM City Tuguegarao; Robinsons Place, Santiago; and Municipal Covered Court, Reina Mercedes, Isabela.

In Central Luzon, venues will be in SM City Marilao, Bulacan; SM City Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; SM City Pampanga, San Fernando City, Pampanga; SM City Olongapo Central, Olongapo City; and SM CIty San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Similar activities will be done at the Ynares Center and the Rizal Provincial Capitol Grounds for Calabarzon. For Mimaropa, its the City Mall in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

In the Bicol Region, the job fair will take place in Ayala Mall, Legazpi, Albay while it’s Robinsons Iloilo for Western Visayas,

For Central Visayas, job fairs are set in Robinsons Galleria Cebu; and Lamberto Macias sports Complex, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental while for Eastern Visayas it’s Tacloban Convention Center, Tacloban City.

KCC Mall de Zamboanga will be hosting the job fair in Zamboanga Peninsula, while it’s SM Downtown Premier in Cagayan de Oro City for Northern Mindanao.

Last but not the least, SM City Davao will be for the Davao Region while in Soccsksargen, it’s the Kidapawan City Gymnasium, Cotabato City and Almont Inland Hotel in Butuan City for Caraga.

In another development, government workers affected by the oil spill in Mindoro are getting help from the Government Insurance Service System.

The GSIS recently opened its emergency loan in five more areas in Oriental Mindoro affected by the oil spill from MT Princess Empress, which capsized on February 28.

“We have allocated P193.92 million in emergency loan for our 7,714 active members and old-age and disability pensioners in Calapan City as well as the municipalities of Baco, San Teodoro, Soccoro and Victoria. They may now apply for the loan until May 17,” President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.

Qualified to apply are members in active service and not on leave of absence without pay; have at least three months of paid premiums within the last six months prior to application; have no pending administrative or criminal case; have no due and demandable loan; and have a net take-home pay of not lower than P5,000 after all required monthly obligations have been deducted.

Old-age and disability pensioners are also qualified to apply if their resulting net monthly take-home pension after loan availment is at least 25% of their basic monthly pension.

Members with existing emergency loan balance may borrow up to P40,000 to pay off their previous emergency loan balance and still receive a maximum net amount of P20,000. Meanwhile, pensioners and those without existing emergency loan may apply for a P20,000 loan.

The loan is payable in three years or 36 equal monthly installments at an interest rate of 6% per annum.

GSIS first offered the loan window to 5,170 members and pensioners in nine Oriental Mindoro areas with the application deadline until April 9.

Good job GSIS.

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