One hundred students and out-of-school youths were given jobs through ‘Task Force Trabaho’ (TFT), Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte’s response to unemployment.
According to Ianree Raquel, head of Provincial Tourism Office, the employment was due to the sudden increase in the number of international and domestic tourists in Ilocos Norte for the holidays which he considers as a peak season.
Raquel explained that with the hotels and other accommodations in the province fully booked, urgent employment of additional tourist aides, first aid medical assistants and utility workers was done to ensure the quality of services offered by various tourism establishments.
The said jobs which officially started last December 26, 2012 ended January 1.
TFT which aims to provide job information and assistance to students, employers and potential entrepreneurs was officially launched by Governor Imee R. Marcos during her State of the Province Address last July 2012 but its means were seen as early as summer of 2012 when around 680,000 tourists visited Ilocos Norte, leading to the same job openings with over 300 Ilocanos employed for 2 months.
Raquel believes that through PGIN’s tourism campaign, ‘Paoay Kumakaway!’, the same scenario can happen every peak season which would make the success of tourism a big contribution to employment in the province.
