Seven Czech companies are offering more than 2,500 employment opportunities for Filipino workers during an exclusive job fair, as part of the Philippines-Czech Republic Friendship Week.

During Wednesday’s opening ceremony, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the event highlights the growing employment partnership between the two countries, providing direct access to overseas jobs in various industries.

“The job prospects are good, and as long as you are qualified, then you’re good to go. So just do your best, and we are all behind you,” he told the applicants who flocked to the event.

“This effort is made because we want to make it easier for you in terms of job facilitation services that we provide.”

Cacdac said the job fair brought together officials from the Philippine government, the Czech government, private recruitment agencies, and Czech employers, creating a “quadrilateral” platform to facilitate employment connections for qualified Filipino applicants.

“Lahat po kami nandito (All of us are here). The entire machinery and framework that supports employment facilitation. We don’t create the jobs, but we do facilitate in terms of providing access to you, our dear job seekers, and to job opportunities,” he said.

Czech Deputy Minister of Transportation Tomas Vrbik, introduced the delegation of Czech companies, which he said traveled nearly 10,000 km. to Manila to personally present their company profiles and meet prospective applicants.

Participating firms include Alza.cz, Central Europe’s largest e-commerce company, employing about 380 Filipinos; Arriva, a major European transport operator; Cargo Sprint, a specialist in vehicle logistics; CEE Logistics and Hodlmayr Logistics, a leader in vehicle transport; Hofmann Wizard, a staffing agency with over 20 years of experience; and Kostelecké územiny, the European country’s largest agricultural and red meat processing firm.

Vrbik said these companies offer jobs across logistics, engineering, hospitality, transport, and manufacturing sectors, providing Filipino workers with diverse and promising career options.

DMW Assistant Secretary Levinson Alcantara highlighted the presence of top executives of the companies and recruitment agencies, ensuring applicants can engage directly with decision-makers.

Meanwhile, Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Karel Hejč reflected on the shared history between Manila and Prague, which he said dates back almost 150 years to José Rizal’s friendship with Czech-born scholar Ferdinand Blumentritt.

He noted that despite geographic distance, the two nations are united by common values and a legacy of mutual support.

“Throughout history, our two nations walked side by side almost the entire time, even though the distance between the two countries, as mentioned numerous times, almost could not be bigger than this. And there is a reason for it. We share the same values,” he said.

“We may have different languages and different cultures, but the values that our societies and communities are built on are the same.” (PNA)