Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families can take advantage of the Department of Science and Technology- Regional Office 1’s virtual learning sessions on its Innovations for Filipinos Working Distantly from the Philippines (iFWD PH) program, which will be conducted starting next month.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Pena announced that the DOST-1 will be conducting the Phase 1 of iFWD PH program starting on June 2 to July 16.
"The Phase 1 of the Program highlights the capacity building and management of technology-based ventures of the OFWs and their families. As such, OFW-enrollees will be attending Core Development sessions, comprising of virtual lectures that will help them conceptualize their technology-based business proposals,” he said during his weekly report on Friday, May 28.
He noted that the DOST-1 has forged partnership with Entrepinoy Volunteers Foundation, Inc. (EVFI) for the conduct of such virtual learning sessions.
The program’s first phase attracts a total of 25 OFW-participants, 12 of whom are from Ilocos Norte, two from Ilocos Sur, eight from Pangasinan and three from La Union. Of the number, 13 are women and the rest are men.
De la Peña said the roll-out of the iFWD PH Phase 1 in Region 1 is made possible through the Agency’s coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration – Region 1 (OWWA-Region 1) and the Provincial Government Units of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.
"Most of these OFWs were mostly engaged in Engineering, ICT (information communications technology) & Electronics, Furniture industry,” he said.
The DOST-1 conducted the ‘TeknoLokal para sa Makabagong Bayani”, a series of virtual technology pitching session as it braced for the upcoming Capacity Building and Core Development Sessions of the iFWD PH program.
During the session, "various Planning Sectoral Councils and Research and Development Institutes (RDIs) of the DOST have pitched their innovative technologies that are available for adoption and commercialization by the iFWD beneficiaries,” de la Peña said.