University News

ARCDO celebrates a decade of Career Fest, empowering student futures

Jan Vincent Lanuza, News, Communication Management Office

SDG 8 SDG 17

The Alumni Relations and Career Development Office (ARCDO) held the second and final leg of the annual Career Fest from September 9 and 11, 2026, at the PUP Gymnasium. 

Reaching its first decade, the event aims to provide students and alumni with internship and employment opportunities, and the entire PUP community with government ID applications and renewal.

Featuring both public and private institutions, the event allowed the Iskolar ng Bayan to participate in seminars, talks, and one-stop-shop booths designed to assist attendees in identifying careers that best align with their undergraduate course, specialities, and interests. Each booth offered activities that help participants better understand the companies’ values, vision, mission, and workplace dynamics.

ARCDO Director and the Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Services (AVPSAS) Engr. Florinda H. Oquindo stated that the secret to this Career Fest’s sustained success as it reached its first decade in existence are as follows: establishing reciprocal connections with industry partners, collaborative communication, thorough and proactive event preparation, the initiative to consistently provide quality services to clients, the need to address the academe-industry gap, and a commitment to fulfilling the enrollment-to-meaningful employment (E2E) framework for the Iskolar ng Bayan. 

“The mission is always driven by a powerful truth: we cannot walk this path alone. In everything we do, our partners are always by our side. Every milestone we have achieved, every program we have launched, and every opportunity we have opened for our students and alumni are deeply rooted in our collaboration with our industry partners,” Oquindo said. 

“They are not just supporters; they are the cornerstone of our day-to-day operations and our long-term vision,” she added.

Conversing with several Iskolar ng Bayan reflect the impact of the Career Fest on their career aspirations. Ashanti Medina, a graduating Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education major in Industrial Arts (BTLEDIA) student noted the event’s light atmosphere and the participating industry partners’ hospitality enabled her to discover possible career trajectories and hiring possibilities. To her, the occasion provided her a convenient route, giving her the space to submit application forms to various companies where she wishes to work.

Meanwhile, Hannah and Marjorie, both 4th Year Bachelor of Science in Cooperative Management, supported Medina’s sentiment. They noted that the industry partners’ friendly and approachable demeanor, along with their openness to answer all employment queries, helped widen their career opportunities and ease their pre-graduation jitters of applying for their first job. 

“For the students, magandang um-attend sa Career Fest kasi mabo-broaden nito ang knowledge nila, mas lumalawak ang mga work na pwede nilang makita rito.” Hannah urged. 

(For the students, it is highly recommended to attend the Career Fest because it will broaden their knowledge and expand the range of job opportunities they can discover there.

The industry partners, meanwhile, disclosed their reasons for enthusiastically joining the Career Fest. Joaquin Feliciano, University Relations Partner for the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), praised the Sintang Paaralan as one of the better universities in the country, noting that PUPian graduates possess innate qualities that cannot be taught, as well as a strong drive to succeed. 

The annual Career Fest highlighted PUP’s efforts to advance its goal of promoting career development initiatives for the Iskolar ng Bayan, further expanding opportunities for its students. With its successful facilitation, the University reaffirmed its role as a transformative institution that nurtures the potential of the Iskolar ng Bayan while fostering partnerships that advance sustainable and inclusive employment. The initiative supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8—Decent Work and Economic Growth—by promoting accessible, fair, and productive opportunities for all, as well as SDG 17—Partnerships for the Goals—through collaborative efforts that drive shared progress toward sustainability.