Good morning and a warm welcome to each and every one of you to this year’s Jobs Fair!

First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our graduating students who have worked tirelessly over the years to reach this significant milestone. It has been quite a ride, especially with the pandemic, but you made it to the finish line.

This Jobs Fair serves as a bridge between our graduating students and the professional world, providing a platform for meaningful interactions, exploration, and connections.

To our graduating students, I urge you to approach this job fair as an opportunity to showcase your unique abilities and talents. Engage in conversations with your employers, ask insightful questions, and most importantly, be confident in your abilities.

Remember that you are not just seeking employment but rather searching for an environment that will foster your personal and professional growth. This is your opportunity to connect with employers who share your values and vision, as it is these shared principles that will help you thrive in your chosen careers.

In this day and age of technological revolution, competition in the job force will be tough. You are not just competing with others, but also with technologies that force jobs to evolve. How you invent and reinvent yourself in these changing times will define how far you can go. For that, your lifelong learning will be a vital tool. Continue to build on life skills that will enable you to make relevant connections and contributions to your employers, co-workers, clients, and communities.

To our participating employers, I extend my deepest gratitude for joining us today. Your presence here reflects your commitment to recognizing and nurturing young talent. As we turn over our students to the workforce, we are honored to have you as partners in our students’ professional development. Thank you for believing in the value that our UP Mindanao graduates bring to your organizations. Please take this opportunity to learn about the diverse skill sets and expertise of our students, and how their personal narratives have shaped their values, aspirations, and vision. We trust that investing your time in this job fair will be worthwhile as you identify future leaders, innovators, and change-makers who will help your organizations maneuver through the dynamic changes in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, or VUCA, world.

Before I end, I would like to express my sincerest congratulations to our Office of Student Affairs, led by Director Maria Stella R. Salazar, for organizing this Jobs Fair, which is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our university to nurture talent, foster growth, and forge partnerships that transcend boundaries.

Let us all continue to work together in shaping the minds that shape the nation.

Thank you, and let the Jobs Fair commence!

Maayong buntag sa tanan!