Beneficiaries attest Gov’t program for OFW teachers life-changing

CEBU, Philippines – The government’s program for passers of the Licensure Examination for Teachers  who were once Overseas Filipino Workers has surely changed lives, the beneficiaries said.

In a recent pre-Labor Day Job and Career Fair held in Mandaue City,  beneficiaries of the government’s “Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma`am/Sir” program from Region 7 delivered testimonies on how the program has helped them.

“Okay kaayo kay regular teacher na gyud ko unya duol ra sa family nako. Dili lalim ang kinabuhi sa domestic helper,” shared Agustina Escarpe, a language teacher in UAE for six years and now teaching in Cambaye Elementary School in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

When asked why she chose to work in the Philippines, Escarpe said it’s about time to use her skills in the country and serve her countrymen since she is a licensed teacher.

Christine Lota, formerly an OFW in Hong Kong, expressed her satisfaction as a teacher in Valencia, Negros Oriental.

“Natagaan ko og chance na makatrabaho og disente ug permanent na pud unya duol lang sa among balay ug lahi sa among trabaho before. Dili na sad mi malayo ug makatabang pa mi sa among pamilya,” she shared.

Escarpe and Lota are just two of the 150 beneficiaries of the program crafted by the Department of Labor and Employment through the National Reintegration Center for OFWs.

The program aims to help LET passers who have worked or currently working abroad by enhancing their skills and providing them the option to stay in the Philippines to work as teachers.

Dexter Paro, NRCO-7 coordinator, said that under the program, each beneficiary will receive P10,000 worth of teaching kit including school supplies, instructional materials and tablet computer, among others.

The seven program beneficiaries from Central Visayas received their teaching kits in December 2015. They were deployed to their designated schools in the first quarter of this year.

“The top items requested by the beneficiaries were voice aid lapel, microphone, and other assorted supplies such as pencils, ball pens, white board markers, erasers, colored papers, highlighters, planners, staplers, cartolinas, rulers, scissors, among others,” said Paro.

DOLE, in collaboration with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Professional Regulation Commission, and other government agencies launched the program in 2014.

It is in response to the pronouncement of President Benigno S. Aquino III during his visit to the Filipino community in Madrid, Spain that the government would give assistance to professional teachers who worked as household service workers and other jobs or positions in foreign countries.

Last year, 518 OFWs took advantage of the program. After thorough evaluation by NRCO and DepEd, 150 were chosen to have qualified.

Paro said many OFW teachers have expressed to avail of the program after learning about this.

Beneficiaries from Central Visayas will also attend today’s Labor Day celebration at the Cebu Provincial Capitol and at the Abellana Sports Complex. —/NSA (FREEMAN)