DAVAO DEL NORTE, Aug. 5 (PIA) - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is reaching out to returning OFWs to give them skills training for their livelihood.

During Pakigsayod today, Technical Skills Education Specialist of TESDA Davao del Norte, Junna Arnaiz, said that TESDA is prioritizing the OFWs for the available scholarships and is doing their best contacting them.

She said that the TESDA central office has given them a list of the returning OFWs which helps them contact through text, Facebook, and other means of communication.

"Gina paningkamotan jud namo nga ma kontak sila, naa may contact numbers nila, masking unsang means of communication, masking sa Facebook amoa silang gina search aron ma locate lang jud nato sila ug mahatagan sila ug saktong tabang (We are working hard to contact them, we have their contact numbers, [and through] whatever means of communication, even in Facebook we search them just so we can locate them and give them the proper assistance)," Arnaiz said.

She added that those who aren't in the list to be contacted, they can walk into any of the TESDA offices and will be entertained in the OFW desk.

"Sa mga wala sa listahan kanang mga walk-in nato, pwede gihapon sila mu dangat. Naa man mi sa opisina naa man mi gibutang didto nga OFW desk nga pwede nila duolon kung unsa man ang ilang mga panginahanglan para sa skills training (Those who aren't in the list, the walk-ins, they may come to our office since we have an OFW desk that they can consult to for whatever they need in regard to the skills training)," she said.

TESDA's OFW Desks are also mounted at international airports to better inform the OFWs of the assistance they can get, and guide them about the available courses in TESDA as well as how to avail.

Furthermore, she mentioned that despite the pandemic, trainings of TESDA are still ongoing.

A lot of these trainings are for beneficiaries in the agriculture sector to ensure food sustainability amidst COVID19 pandemic.

As well, returning OFWs may register and apply for scholarships through the TESDA mobile app. TESDA invites the OFWs to take online courses on the TESDA Online Program (TOP) for their reskilling or upskilling needs.

Additionally, full TVET online courses are being developed such as Aquaponics for Urban Agriculture, Organic Agriculture, and courses under construction trades such as Electrical Installation and Maintenance, and Plumbing which can be useful for displaced OFWS who will need more options for skills training as they reintegrate into the Philippine economy.

In his 5th State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte mandated the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to offer special training programs to OFWs which can provide new job opportunities them. (Jan Vincent Leuterio/PIA-XI)