QUEZON CITY – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at expanding access to skills development, certification, and reintegration services for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families worldwide.
The agreement was signed by TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez and OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan during the celebration of Migrant Workers’ Day on June 7 at the OFW Global Center in Hong Kong.
Under the partnership, OFWs and their families will gain greater access to skills training, upskilling, re-skilling programs, scholarships, livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship assistance, and employment support.
“Our goal is to ensure that every sacrifice of our OFWs leads to better opportunities,” Secretary Benitez said.
For her part, Administrator Caunan emphasized that the agreement forms part of OWWA’s continuing efforts to strengthen full-cycle reintegration programs for OFWs—from pre-deployment, while working abroad, and upon their return to the Philippines.
The collaboration will establish coordinated mechanisms for OFW profiling, referrals, skills training, assessment and certification, as well as scholarship support. It will also promote data sharing, systems integration, and joint implementation of programs through regional offices, migrant centers, and overseas facilities.
Among the priorities of the agreement are strengthening reintegration services, improving referral and certification processes, aligning training programs with labor market demands, and expanding scholarship and financial assistance opportunities for OFWs and their families.
TESDA and OWWA said the partnership marks another significant step in providing more education, training, and livelihood opportunities for Filipino migrant workers, whom they continue to recognize as modern-day heroes.
Source: Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
