MANILA, Philippines – The holiday season marks a special occasion for Filipino households as thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) return home to celebrate Christmas and New Year. While this is a precious time for OFWs to reunite with loved ones they haven’t seen in years, there also lies deeper emotional, psychological, physical, and practical difficulties that come from years of separation just to support their families. This December, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is expecting more than 100,000 OFWs to return home for the holidays or for good. Many of these OFWs and women migrant workers were displaced by COVID or are unsure of their future job prospects abroad, or reintegration opportunities back in the Philippines.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the displacement of millions of OFWs since 2020, demonstrating the risks and precariousness of working abroad and being away from family. The continuing threat of Omicron and other possible new variants have only made these challenges even starker. In the Philippines, families of OFWs also face the economic and employment difficulties resulting from the pandemic. These are made worse by disasters, and the stronger and more frequent destructive weather events, like the latest Typhoon Odette (Rai) which wiped out the houses, investments, and livelihoods of tens of thousands, including families of OFWs.
While OFWs could not always prevent or stop these risks or precarious situations abroad or when they return to the Philippines, they can strengthen preparedness and resiliency to enable them and their families to cope and mitigate the negative impacts. Skills development – upskilling, reskilling, life-long learning – is one resiliency strategy that OFWs and families can gift themselves with.
As part of the reintegration, skills development, and employment support for women migrant workers, including the millions of OFWs displaced or repatriated due to the pandemic, the Safe and Fair Philippines – a partnership between UN Women and the International Labour Organization (ILO) – together with the ILO Women in STEM Workforce Readiness and Development Programme, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-National Reintegration Center for OFWs (OWWA-NRCO) jointly launched in 2020 the #WomenOFWsCanDoIT scholarship programme.
Those who are eligible for the full scholarship are women OFWs (abroad, returnees, or just preparing to leave), or their family members. The TESDA courses are conducted fully online or in blended mode. These are offered every semester, and scholars are also given daily allowances and insurance. The scholarships prioritize (but are not exclusive to) women, to increase their choices, options, and opportunities in the fields of science and technology (IT/STEM), and other technical-vocational jobs that help break gender stereotypes (e.g., computer programming, web development and design, food production, events management, driving, bookkeeping, etc.) Successful graduates earn officially-recognized National Certificates (NC) or Training Certificates (TC) that can be used as credentials in applying for work locally, overseas, and even online.
“Skills development and reintegration support services are a crucial component of the migrant journey. It increases women OFW options and opportunities to find better work abroad or when they return home to the Philippines for good,” said Rex Varona, National Project Coordinator, ILO Safe and Fair Philippines. “They can use these certified skills in their chosen field, company, or in operating their own businesses.”
“Reskilling and upskilling services particularly in IT/STEM -related occupations offer a viable resiliency strategy to prepare and improve the difficult situation many women OFWs face today. This has become even more critical in response to the massive displacement caused by COVID, the ensuing economic crisis, and the gender stereotypes and challenges that OFWs face in pursuing jobs outside domestic work,” affirmed Linartes Viloria, National Project Coordinator, ILO Women in STEM.
“Skills development and having viable reintegration options are practical tools in mitigating violence against women and labor exploitation, as these empower women OFWs, enable them to identify and plan for their new job or reintegration options, and thus able to defend their rights better, seek help if needed, or remove themselves from situations of violence or abuse abroad or when they return to the Philippines,” said Chang Jordan, National Project Officer, Safe and Fair, UN Women.
The #WomenOFWsCanDoIT scholarship programme is currently offered across the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region 7. Since its launch in 2020, more than 900 women OFWs and family members have availed of the scholarship and graduated. Plans are underway to roll out in more areas nationwide by next year. Last week, the #WomenOFWsCanDoIt held its 2021 Mass Graduation and Confirmation ceremonies where the more than 800 cohort of 2021 scholars were presented and confirmed by TESDA-NCR Regional Director Florencio Sunico, Jr.
“We highly encourage our returning kababayans to make good use of their valuable time at home by taking this opportunity to avail of our TESDA courses in information technology, STEM, events management, bread and pastry production, and many more,” said Regional Director Sunico. “Whether you’re here for the holidays or are back for good, we offer immediate and concrete solutions for self-improvement that are safe, financially viable, and will help prepare you for whatever the future brings in the new normal.”
An online panel discussion entitled “Babaeng BiyaHero, Kasanayang Kayang-Kaya: Zoom Chikahan” was also held with panelists representing scholars from the various courses, accredited technical-vocational institutes (TVIs), and the government agency partners. They discussed the scholarship and livelihood opportunities, the motivations of the women and OFWs in taking the courses, how the new skills boosted their confidence and sense of empowerment, and their plans for the future.
“These skills will help promote your options, opportunities and career choices in the future. And I want to challenge you – Earn, Learn, Return. Use your new skills and knowledge to earn and secure your lives. Never stop learning – learn from the best practices in the city or country where you are; and in the end, return – return to our country, and return the service to your community,” exhorted Doris Magsaysay Ho, President and CEO of the Magsaysay Group of Companies.
“This scholarship really changed my life,” said Evelyn Caballero, an OFW in the United Kingdom who graduated from one of the courses. “I was working as a nanny in the UK and was planning to go back abroad. When I got hired for a BPO, I got the opportunity to work here in the Philippines. Now I’m on the path to financial stability. I can provide for my family needs and there’s no need for me to take another flight to work abroad. No need for me to go away from my family.”
These events were a part of the celebration of International Migrants Day (IMD) last December 18. The IMD 2021 theme being, “It takes a community”, an online event entitled “Asking for a Friend: How Can the Youth Support Our Filipino Migrant Workers?” was also held. This affirms the vital role of the youth and provides them with a platform to dialogue with women OFWs and express their commitments as active agents of the community, and their role in advocating for migrants’ rights and welfare.
You can catch the recorded sessions of these events, as well as all the latest updates, by visiting and following the Safe and Fair Philippines Facebook page. Go to the Babaeng BiyaHero website for more information about the situation of Filipina migrant workers, or if you need to contact or report any incidents.
