THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) announced it resumes the conduct of its Overseas Assessment Program (OAP) expected to be awarded to more than a thousand overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East.
This came after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called for an upgrade and diversification of skills of the OFWs.
After putting on hold this initiative due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the agency restarted its services to migrant workers in Riyadh and Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) until June 30, and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from July 2 to July 6.
The pilot implementation of the OAP was held in South Korea last June 4. Its resumption is in response to requests from different training institutions in the KSA, UAE and other parts of Asia.
With the scheduled assessment activities, OFWs can validate and certify their acquired competencies through prior training or work experience, according to Tesda Director General Suharto T. Mangudadatu.
Filipino workers based in both oil-rich Arab nations with various qualifications—Caregiving NC II, Massage Therapy NC II, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II and NC III, and Photovoltaic Systems Installation NC II—will be assessed, Mangudadatu said.
“Our OFWs who are in need to be certified for job retention, promotion, or for other job opportunities do not need to go back to the Philippines just to be assessed and certified because Tesda will bring its services to our OFWs,” he added.
The program will be implemented with the help the Migrant Workers Office of the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration.
Data shows that Tesda assessed a total of 4,996 OFWs, particularly in the Middle East, from 2014 to 2019. About 4,136 were certified as skilled workers during these years.
One of them is Marites Dorado, who was certified in Massage Therapy NC II. Dorado used to earn P37,000 as a house help in the KSA. After getting her National Certificate, she is currently earning almost P150,000 per month as a freelance masseuse.
Another program beneficiary is Marlinda Talavera who took the assessment for Caregiving NC II in 2019. Upon gaining the certification, she used her National Certificate to apply as a caregiver in Israel. Formerly a personal assistant in Jeddah, she now finances the renovation of her mother’s house through her earnings with her new job.
“Our OFWs have always been among Tesda’s priority clients. Through the Overseas Assessment Program, we shall uplift the employment and livelihood of our OFWs through Tesda certification. It is the aim of the program to ensure that OFWs are provided with better opportunities,” Mangudadatu said.