FACEBOOK Philippines and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have tied up to hone the digital literacy and entrepreneurship skills of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“OFWs work very hard for their families and communities. We want to make sure we support them in the best way possible: by letting them gain the skills they need to contribute to their communities online and offline,” said Hans Leo Cacdac, OWWA administrator.
Through different educational programs and workshops, the alliance will provide resources that will make OFWs knowledgeable on privacy and safety, critical thinking and empathy and spotting false news.
As part of the initiative, a one-hour digital-literacy module will be given to departing OFWs. Informational videos will also be played in OWWA offices and posted on their web sites.
What’s more, OFWs will have access to digital marketing workshops. These will be included in OWWA’s Entrepreneurship Development Training to assist them in starting and growing their business ventures.
To spur social impact, digital-literacy programs will also be extended to OFW Family Circles (OFCs) nationwide. These are communities of families of Filipinos working abroad that seek to promote the overall socioeconomic welfare of migrant workers through skills development.
Facebook Director of Community Affairs for Asia Pacific Clair Deevy said Facebook is used by OFWs to connect with their friends and loved ones back home, while creating a big impact worldwide.
“Together with OWWA, we want to help OFWs to have a positive and authentic experience online, and gain business skills that would help their families and communities,” she said.
Beyond training and livelihood programs provision for OFWs and their families, Facebook will help OWWA to engage better with their audience through social-media training.
“We are very excited to have Facebook onboard as we continue to uplift the quality of lives of our modern-day heroes—both through digital literacy and small business training,” Cacdac said.
