At TESDA’s Onsite Assessment in Singapore, 78 OFWs Certified in Five NC II Qualification

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday expressed delight over the successful implementation by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of its onsite assessment program in Singapore which yielded 78 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) certified in five National Certificate II (NC II) qualifications.

Citing the report of TESDA Director General Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, Secretary Baldoz said that during the assessment, 78 out of 114 assessed OFWs were given certification, yielding a 68.42 certification rate.

“With the TESDA’s certification, our OFWs will have the necessary skills and qualifications to become more competitive, thus giving them higher opportunities to get better paying jobs,” the labor and employment chief said, explaining that the onsite assessment is in compliance with the directive of President Benigno S. Aquino III to the DOLE to work with Department of Foreign Affairs to transform Philippine Embassies, Consular Offices, and Philippine Overseas Labor Offices into centers of care and service for overseas Filipino workers.

Specifically, the numbers of TESDA-certified OFWs per competency are as follows: caregiving, 27; bread and pastry production, 25; dressmaking, 14; cookery, 11; and massage therapy, 1.

In his report, Director General Villanueva noted that the training courses the POLO in Singapore provides to OFWs are aligned with current TESDA training standards.

“Director General Villanueva’s observation was confirmed by the 100 percent certification rate of the OFWs who were assessed in bread and pastry production; dressmaking; and cookery,” Baldoz proudly said, adding that the three skill courses are also offered at the Bayanihan Center in Singapore.

“The TESDA competency assessors were also able to identify and recommend from the certified OFWs those who have the potential to become onsite competency assessors,” the labor and employment chief noted.

Out of the 78 TESDA-certified OFWs, nine were included in the list of possible assessors. They are: Teresa Bonilla and Ivy Agura for caregiving; Judith Salcedo, Pamela Manlungat, and Cherry Mesa for bread and pastry production; Basilisa Abueva, for cookery; and Bernadeth Bapora, for massage therapy.

Initial capability-building activities for the prospective assessors will be held in the first quarter of 2016 to ensure the institutionalization of the onsite assessment program in the Lion City.

TESDA Director General Villanueva extended his appreciation to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Singapore, headed by Labor Attache Ramon T. Tionloc, for its commendable effort in the initial implementation of the onsite assessment program.

Baldoz, who serves as the TESDA Board Chairperson, last year ordered the onsite skills assessment and certification to enable household service workers (HSWs) and other low-skilled OFWs to veer away from plain domestic work and transit to establishment-based jobs, envisioning outside-the-home occupations with prospect for higher incomes.

Source: www.dole.gov.ph