The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will launch Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) desks at all regional and provincial offices to retool balikbayans to easily find employment opportunities in the country.
The announcement came following President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to TESDA during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) to come up with special training programs for returning OFWs.
Secretary Isidro Lapeña said, “As instructed by the President, we will make sure that we will be able to retool our OFWs, for employment or livelihood as they rebuild their lives again here in the country.”
Lapeña added that apart from OFW desks, all TESDA offices will be designated with OFW focal persons who will prioritize all the concerns of the OFWs by providing information about the TESDA’s programs and services and making sure that they will be included in TESDA scholarship programs.
He said that the agency also plans to tap skilled OFWs who are willing to assist TESDA with its training programs.
“Our local government units will continue to be our close partners in this initiative. We need their help in designing training programs for our OFWs that are suitable for the local industry,” Lapeña explained.
Currently, TESDA provides registration for returning OFWs applying for scholarships through the TESDA mobile app.
OFWs are also invited to take online courses on the TESDA Online Program (TOP) for their reskilling or upskilling needs.
As of July 12, 2020, there are already 56,417 OFWs including their relatives who have registered for the TOP.
