By Ma. Cristina Arayata/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will consider bringing its Onsite Assessment Program (OAP) in Qatar, an executive told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday.
“There was a request from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) from Qatar. We will be considering, subject to availability of funds,” said TESDA Certification Office Executive Director Maria Susan Dela Rama.
The OAP aims to enable overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to retain and improve their livelihood, whether as employees or as entrepreneurs, through its certifications. TESDA conducts this in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, and Riyadh.
Dela Rama earlier explained that assessments are vital as this would be an edge for an OFW applicant since it would let the employers know that he or she is capable of doing the job.
She also said that TESDA has been planning to have the OAP in other countries, depending on POLO’s request.
Meanwhile, TESDA conducted an onsite assessment in Jeddah last June 4-9.
A total of 236 OFWs in Jeddah were assessed during this period, according to TESDA. Most of them or 90 percent were also given certification in Caregiving, Massage Therapy and Filipino Computer and Literacy Program.
From OAP’s launch in 2014 until 2018, there were 2,681 OFWs who benefited from the program.
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