In this photo shows Karlo Alexie Nograles (left), Felicitas Bay (centre) and Sid Lapena at the award ceremony.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Philippine Labour Attache Felicitas Bay is looking at more assessments and certifications of competencies for technical and skilled jobs for the over 400,000 Filipinos under the responsibility of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Polo-DNE).

Bay told Gulf Today over the weekend: “Skills enhancement is the way forward. We are committed to pursue more of these assessments and certifications for the global excellence of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).”

Polo-DNE was given due recognition—the only awardee at the National Government Agency Category—at the annual “Kabalikat (Partner/Associate/Helper) Awards” of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) held on the evening of Aug.30 at the auditorium of the government agency in Taguig, Metro Manila.

The award was two months after the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, its Assistance to Nationals Section, and its data-base personnel were honoured for quick delivery of services and innovation, respectively at the 121st founding anniversary of Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs last June.

Established in 1994, Tesda is the Philippines’s technical vocational education and training authority responsible for the pursuit of technical education and skills development of all Filipinos around the world.

The 2019 awards were held as the government agency celebrated its 25th anniversary. The awards “are one of Tesda’s primary reward mechanisms in giving due recognition and honour to its outstanding partners in the promotion and enhancement of technical education and skills development.” Polo-DNE was nominated by the Tesda-Certification (executive) Office.

In Dubai and the Northern Emirates and through the Polo-DNE which continually networks with training centres and institutions, Tesda, with its all Philippine-based assessors, in the last several years, has appraised a total of 538 OFWs, 412 of which have been given certifications for competencies in the areas of caregiving, massage therapy, computer programming/graphic designing and related skills, among other vocational courses.

Polo-DNE assists and facilitates the conduct of on-site assessment in coordination with OFWs and training organisations. It has been designated by Tesda as an assessment venue or centre.

This broadsheet reported a year ago that a result of these globally-accepted Tesda assessments and certifications was either employment of the qualifiers in the UAE such as in the health facilities and hospitals under the Dubai Health Authority or job promotions.

Bay said keynote speaker Malacanang Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexie Nograles “was happy” when informed that she had gone home for the awards in behalf of the OFWs in Dubai and the Northern Emirates: “When I went on stage, he talked to me a bit while giving the trophy which was so heavy.”

In his message, Tesda director general Sid Lapena said: “For the years to come, we must be prepared to meet the challenges head on: the changing workplace environment of the 4IR (fourth industrial revolution), the growing demands of the country’s (the Philippines’s) massive infrastructure projects, the fast technological advancement, and the increasing competitiveness of skilled workforce in the global arena.”

He reminded his Tesda colleagues of the “essence of (their) mandate: being the authority in technical vocational education and training, we must ensure the highest quality of training delivered to Filipinos.”

Bay said that scheduled for assessment and certification this fourth quarter of the year are those into caregiving, massage therapy, photography, electrical installation and maintenance, and shielded metal arc welding.

Among the other 2019 Tesda “Kabalikat” awardees was the Department of Transportation under Secretary Arthur Tugade for its commitment in providing free skills and entrepreneurship training to transport stakeholders and their dependents through the “Tsuper Iskolar” (“Scholar Driver”) Programme.