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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Gov't should tap repatriated OFW talent pool—Joel Villanueva

Gov't should tap repatriated OFW talent pool—Joel Villanueva

Published Mar 13, 2022 04:29 pm

Senator Joel Villanueva suggested that the national government should better utilize the skills of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have returned since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sen. Joel Villanueva (Photo from Joel Villanueva FB page)

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the total number of OFWs dropped 18.6 percent from 2019 (2.18 million OFWs) to 2020 (1.77 million OFWs).

That is about 405,000 OFWs who returned to the Philippines.

“This is the brain gain we should be exploiting. There is a social dividend waiting to be earned from this reverse Diaspora,” Villanueva said in a press statement on Sunday, March 13.

“I view their return as an enhancement of our labor pool. They’re bringing with them skills they have acquired abroad. Our society must benefit from their experience, and government must show the way,” the senator said.

According to Villanueva, these repatriated OFWs are essential to post-Covid-19 economic recovery.

He specifically mentioned three industries which he believes could benefit the most from returned OFWs: the construction industry; the information and communication technology industry; and the education industry.

Villanueva then mentioned two laws which he principally authored, the Department of Migrant Workers Act and the Tulong Trabaho Act, as means to reintegrate repatriated OFWs into the country’s workforce.

Republic Act (RA) 11641 saw the creation of a Department of Migrant Workers to protect the rights of OFWs. RA 11230 or the “Tulong Trabaho Act” improved access to Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by allocating a national budget for beneficiaries of TVET.

“To fast track the implementation of programs that will enrich our technical skills, the participation of OFWs is a must. If they have been able to conquer the world with their abilities, it is time to tap it for the progress of their homeland,” he concluded.

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