Industry Partners as Interviewers for the Job and internship Fair
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao (Mapúa MCM), through the Office for Corporate Partnerships – Center for Career and Placement (OCP-CCP), conducted the iPREP: Job and Internship Fair (JIF) on September 8–9, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the RG Birrey Building in Davao City. The two-day event provided incoming interns for Academic Year 2026–2027, September 2026 graduating students, and alumni with opportunities to connect with employers and explore career and internship prospects.
The Job and Internship Fair was designed to strengthen students’ and alumni’s professional, communication, and self-presentation skills while providing access to industry-aligned career opportunities. The activity engaged 325 graduating students and 256 incoming 2T interns from the participating programs. Through direct engagement with participating organizations, attendees were able to learn about workplace expectations, application processes, and potential career pathways across various industries.
Mr. RJ Sencio of PhilHealth XI discusses the services and benefit availment under the YAKAP program.
The JIF, now in its 3rd year of implementation, brought together a diverse group of 28 industry partners through its hybrid format, through the Mapúa MCM Career Hub, including Alorica Teleservices, Inc., Alsons Development and Investment Corporation, Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort, Davao Christian High School, Davao CitiHardware, Inc. / DecoArts Marketing, Inc., DMCI Project Developers, Inc., Enov8tive Technology Solutions Inc., Equinox Synergy OPC, KPO Architecture/Outsourcing, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board XI, Ollopa Corporation, One’s Philippine Epoch Corporation, Optum Philippines, Palafox Associates, Philippine Artist Center (PAC) Entertainment Production / SynrGEE, LLC, Prime Point Arch’tl and Design Studio, the Regional Training Center – Korea-Philippines Vocational Training Center, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, San Miguel Brewery Inc., Seek Marketing Partners Ltd., Shopping Center Management Corporation (SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier), Sta. Ana Multipurpose Cooperative, Stockbridge American International School, Techhub Corp Enabled BPO / TomNToms Davao, The Little Studio, Turnkey Processing LLC / Remarkablism Services Corp., and Virginia Food, Inc.
Moreover, the JIF featured a Government One-Stop Shop, providing students and jobseekers with convenient access to essential government services in one venue. Participants were able to process or inquire about services such as PhilHealth membership, BIR Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) registration, and Pag-IBIG Fund services, helping them prepare important requirements for employment and professional life.
Students explore job and internship opportunities through the Job and Internship Fair’s digital employer directory through the Mapúa MCM Career Hub.
The Mapúa MCM Career Hub complemented the Job and Internship Fair by providing students with a centralized digital platform to explore job and internship opportunities from participating companies. Supporting the event’s #GoPaperless initiative, students accessed company information and application processing and opportunities through digital channels and QR codes, making the process more convenient while reducing reliance on printed materials. This initiative reflects Mapúa MCM’s commitment to creating accessible, efficient, and sustainable career opportunities for its students and alumni.
For students, the Job and Internship Fair provided meaningful opportunities to gain firsthand industry exposure and strengthen their career readiness. Vanessa Joy Tocao, a Bachelor of Multimedia Arts student, highlighted the value of directly interacting with recruiters and industry professionals, noting that the mock and actual interviews helped sharpen her communication skills, build confidence, and gain immediate feedback. She also shared that exploring different career pathways gave her a clearer understanding of current industry expectations.
For Rahima Anok, a BS Accountancy student, the fair was particularly valuable for the opportunity to interact with different companies and learn about available career and internship opportunities. She noted that engaging with recruiters helped her gain confidence in communicating with industry professionals and become better prepared for future interviews. Meanwhile, Anna Luisa Yap, a BS Psychology student, reflected on how the experience bridged the gap between classroom learning and the realities of the professional world. She shared that the initiative allowed her to better understand what she may encounter in the future and helped her become more prepared when seeking career opportunities.
The CCP Associate, Trisha Menoy, presents the Center’s career services and initiatives to support students’ career readiness and employment.
Beyond connecting students and alumni with potential employers, the event reinforced the importance of professional preparation as participants explored opportunities for internships and employment. The involvement of industry partners also created opportunities for organizations to meet prospective candidates and identify talent aligned with their workforce needs. The participation of organizations from different sectors provided attendees with opportunities to engage directly with potential employers and gain a broader understanding of industry expectations. Such interactions support Mapúa MCM’s efforts to connect academic preparation with workplace readiness and employment opportunities. Similar Mapúa MCM career initiatives have also emphasized direct engagement between students, alumni, and industry partners to support internship placement and youth employability.
Virginia Food Inc. representative interviewing a student through the paperless Mapúa MCM Career Hub recruitment process.
Industry partners also recognized the value of the Job and Internship Fair in connecting employers with emerging talent. Melissa Dizon, the CEO of KPO Architecture, a Construction and Business Outsourcing firm based in United Kingdom, commended the participating students, describing them as “great and talented,” reflecting the positive impression made by student participants. Meanwhile, Michael M. Elicot, the HR representative of Davao CitiHardware, Inc. (DecoArts Marketing, Inc.) described the experience as meaningful, highlighting the opportunity to meet and interview students seeking internship opportunities and their first jobs. The fair was further supported by the Mapúa MCM Career Hub, which provided a centralized platform for employers to connect with potential interns and job applicants, complementing the face-to-face interactions during the event. Together, these efforts strengthened opportunities for students and employers to connect, explore career prospects, and build professional relationships.
Through the iPREP: Job and Internship Fair, Mapúa MCM continues to strengthen career development opportunities for its students and alumni by fostering meaningful connections between the academic community and the professional sector. The initiative supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4: Quality Education by promoting career-oriented learning and professional development; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth by connecting students and alumni with internship and employment opportunities; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by strengthening collaboration between the institution and its industry and organizational partners.