By Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA
MANILA — A total of 2,681 overseas Filipino workers have benefitted from the onsite assessment program (OAP) of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) since this was launched for them in 2014.
Latest TESDA records show that of the total, 2,159 OFWs in various countries got their National Certificates (NCs) or Certificate of Competencies (COCs), affirming their capability for certain skills.
The latest onsite assessment was conducted in Dubai from Nov. 16 to Nov. 18, where 206 OFWs were assessed for two qualifications—Caregiving NC II and Visual Graphics Design NC II.
TESDA’s OAP aims to enable OFWs to retain and improve their livelihood, whether as employees or as entrepreneurs, through its certifications.
Aside from Dubai, onsite assessments are being conducted in Hong Kong, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, and Riyadh.
In previous interviews with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), TESDA Certification Office Executive Director Maria Susan Dela Rama explained that assessment is important because it serves as an indicator if the individual is competent.
“(Assessments) would let the employers know if the individuals are really capable of doing the job,” she said. Dela Rama added that an assessment will be an edge for the applicant.
“For BS HRM graduates, for example, the assessment will be the employers’ basis if they can do Food and Beverage services, if they can be a barista, etc. Some employers don’t even look for the applicants’ diploma, but they look for certification,” she stressed.
Dela Rama also disclosed that TESDA plans to have the OAP in other countries in the future, depending on the request of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.
TESDA is planning to also offer the OAP in Malaysia, Qatar, and Jordan, she said.
