Saturday, December 06, 2008 ‘Marketing blitz’ to be set up for OFWs
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday ordered the Philippine Overseas Employment Association (POEA) to set up a wide “marketing blitz” to enable overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially those displaced by the prevailing economic crisis, more and better access to job opportunities abroad.
Arroyo, during the launching of a “payback package” dubbed “Handog ni Pangulong Arroyo para sa Displaced Expatriate Filipino Workers,” said she would be issuing an administrative order to detail the proposed plan which aims to help find new “markets” for the Filipino workers.
The President said that while only a trickle of the Filipino workers abroad has lost their jobs, it should not mean that the government would just sit idly and do nothing.
She said with the current world financial crisis, it is time that the government pays back Filipinos working and living abroad for their continued support to the country, from remittances to investments made in the country through their families.
According to Arroyo, the “marketing blitz” is only one of the measures drawn up by the government to help the returning expatriates find a new job, particularly for those who wish to continue working abroad.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque initially reported that about 1,000 jobs in the hotel and restaurant industry in Bulgaria is now open for Filipinos and some 90,000 job vacancies are also available in Saudi Arabia.
Roque said there are also additional job openings in New Zealand, Canada, Guam, and Taiwan despite the recent retrenchment and repatriation of some Filipino workers early this week.
The Chief Executive ordered the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (Owwa) to put up assistance desk in all their provincial offices to help match the experience and ability of the returning the workers to the existing job vacancies abroad.
Also part of the “payback package” are the provisions of skills and livelihood training and financial assistance under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), the Technology Resource Center (TRC), and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs, to better prepare them for more employment or business opportunities both in the country and abroad.
The President, during the ceremony, handed out checks to help pay for the training of the displaced expatriates, assuring that additional checks would be given out in the form of loan under the P250-million National Livelihood Support Fund (NLSF) that she announced in October.
She also ordered Dole to complete the implementing guidelines for the NLSF to enable the expatriates to immediately access the loans without the tedious process and red tape that accompanies some loan procedures.
Roque said a maximum of P10,000 can be loaned from the NLSF, which is jointly funded by the Owwa – P200 million - and the National Government - P50 million. He added that not all of those who underwent livelihood training would be able to avail of the loan as it would have to be approved first.
Arroyo said the Filipino workers would be assisted, however, by the TRC in determining the appropriate business opportunities where they can invest in.
Roque said individual referrals for immediate placement to licensed recruitment agencies for their principals abroad were also given out aside from scholarship grants under Tesda during the event.
They were also given OFW Club Family cards by the Social Security System, which entitles them to priority processing of claims, as well as discounts in shopping malls and restaurants.
They also received Family Health Cards under Philhealth, which entitles them and their families to free one-year health insurance coverage. (JMR/Sunnex)
