by Danny O. Sagun

Dagupan City (23 August) -- FOUR overseas workers forced by the Israel-Hezbollah conflict to rush back home were immediately hired during the jobs fair at the Leisure Coast Resort which coincided with the North Luzon Agribusiness quadrangle meeting last Thursday.

Three domestic helpers from Lebanon were placed for DH jobs in Kuwait, while one was hired as sales lady in Kuwait. Recruitment agency Jones International hired them without asking placement fees.

DISPLACED OFWs in Lebanon, mostly women, seek assistance from concerned government agencies for possible new employment with different companies or for re-entry loan package and material support from government during last Thursday's jobs fair at the Liesure Coast Resort in Dagupan City. The jobs fair was among RH SDIE FEATURES OF THE First North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle meeting presided by Secretary Arthur Yap as NLAQ super region "champion" with governors, mayors and regional development leaders in attendance.

Some 130 overseas workers from Region 1 affected by the conflict were invited by the labor department and its attached agencies to grace the jobs fair for possible hiring and further training.

TRAGEDY AND RELIEF. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Lebanon like Elsie Cayabyab(third from left) and Daisy Descalgo(extreme lef, just partly shown) narrate to media efforts done by the government to bring them safely back to the Philippines from war-torn Middle-east country. They acknowledge the job assistance and trainings offered by government labor and overseas workers' agencies through President Arroyo's "Tulong Alalay sa OFWs". Between them is Floramin G. Cue of Jones International whose agency offers no placement fees for returning OFWs in the Middle East. PIA Region 1 Director Abraham N. Libadia and Bernie Errasquin of Radyo ng Bayan Dagupan (at right) listen to the workers' tales of tragedy and relief. (PIA Photo by Roland M. Naoe)

Secretary Arthur Yap, jobs creation czar, led labor officials in awarding the training certificates to the displaced OFWs.

AT THEIR SERVICE. Secretary Arthur Yap, presidential adviser on jobs creation, (right) gives Rhobelyn Magpili of Sison, Pangasinan her loan assistance papers from government's re-entry loan package for displaced OFWs who fled from war-torn Lebanon during last Thursday's event at Leisure Coast in Dagupan City. Magpili said she will use the P10,000 loan for piggery livelihood project. Many other OFWs have applied for similar loan assistance.

Yap led the first NLQA meeting, a kick-off to the ambitious plan to make the North Luzon super region the food basket not only in the country but also to the rest of Asia.

ADVOCATING FOR AGRIBUSINESS. Governors, Mayors and other top leaders of North Luzon join Secretary Arthur Yap (top photo, holding microphone) at the press conference that followed the morning session of the First North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle meeting last Thursday in Dagupan City. Yap allayed common doubts among media and local leaders about the funding for all the bid projects mentioned in President Arroyo's State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 20. (PIA Photo by Roland Naoe)