Dubai, UAE – Women’s month became more meaningful to the 254 female wards sheltering at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Dubai, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has promised to give them scholarships on the courses they wish to take once they are back in the Philippines.
The visit of Secretary Isidro Lapena, on March 8, added color to the International Women’s month, when he announced that returning OFW’s can avail skills development programs for free.
Lapena’s visit was organized by the Philippine Consul General in Dubai and Northern Emirates (PCG-DNE).
The Secretary met the Filipino community in Abu Dhabi and in Dubai to promote TESDA’s programs and services, such as technical vocational education and training (TVET) it can offer to OFWs, reiterating that the welfare of OFWs is one of the top priorities of the Duterte administration.
He explained that TESDA provides free training through scholarships for returning OFW’s who need to enhance their skills.
“Our target beneficiaries here are those who have no opportunity for a formal education and those who belong in the lower strata of our society. Ito ang pamamaraan ng ating mahal na presidente na ma-address ang kahirapan ng ating mga kababayan hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi pati na rin yung nasa ibang bansa,” said Lapena in a media interview.
Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes who welcomed the cabinet member said, the giving away of scholarships to the distressed Filipinos in Dubai manifests the Philippine government’s desire to continue investing in improving the skills and technical knowledge of our people as they take on a competitive global labor arena.
“Although primarily linked with our desire to provide relevant jobs to our people in the country, our training programs allow the Filipinos to be at par with the rest of the global community in terms of skill, knowledge, & expertise. That the beneficiaries would be our women also shows our priority to promote women’s education and empowerment,” added Cortes.
Part of Lapena’s visit is to grace the grand opening of the Power Technical Training Center branch in Dubai, along with Philippines Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana. Power Tech is the first Filipino-owned technical school in the UAE, which opened in Abu Dhabi. –Henri Abenis-Macahilo/NewsLine.ph
