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TAGUIG CITY, June 7, 2026 — In celebration of Migrant Workers Day, TESDA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Sunday in Hong Kong, formalizing a partnership aimed at expanding access to skills development, assessment and certification, and reintegration services for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families worldwide.
The MOA signing marks a significant step in institutionalizing coordinated government services for Filipino workers abroad.
“Ang gusto natin, ibuhos palagi ang lahat ng makakaya natin para sa ating OFWs. Sa tulong ng MOA na ito, sa wakas, magiging institutionalized na ang ating coordination para sa profiling, referral, skills training, assessment and certification, scholarship support, pati na rin sa employment facilitation,” TESDA Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Benitez said in his message.
“Ang layunin natin sa TESDA kasama ang OWWA ay dapat siguraduhin na bawat patak ng pawis at bawat sakripisyo ng OFWs ay magbubunga ng mas magandang oportunidad,” he added.
Coinciding with the MOA signing, TESDA conducted competency assessments for 63 OFWs in Massage Therapy NC II on June 6-7, at the OFW Global Training Center in Hong Kong. The assessments are conducted free of charge under TESDA’s Overseas Assessment Program (OAP).
Expanding OFW access to skills development services
The OAP, launched in 2014 and further institutionalized through a Joint Circular on Implementing Guidelines in 2016 — subsequently amended in 2019 — provides free competency assessment and certification services to OFWs in their countries of employment.
The program is implemented in partnership with OWWA and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. Since its launch on May 31, 2026, the OAP has assessed a total of 10,468 OFWs, of whom 9,054 were certified, yielding an 86.49 percent certification rate.
Hong Kong has been a key site for the program’s implementation, with OWWA Hong Kong requesting the current round of assessments for Massage Therapy NC II graduates — the latest in a series of overseas assessment activities conducted in the territory.
Under the newly signed MOA, TESDA and OWWA will establish coordinated mechanisms for OFW profiling, referral, skills training, assessment and certification, and scholarship support. The agreement also promotes data sharing, systems integration, and joint program implementation through regional offices, migrant centers, and overseas facilities.
The partnership builds on existing government efforts to expand OFW access to skills development services. In 2024, TESDA entered into a separate MOA with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to facilitate the delivery of skills and livelihood training programs for OFWs and their families overseas, supporting the registration of eligible overseas training centers and access to TESDA scholarship grants and certification services.
The TESDA-OWWA partnership is expected to further advance the government’s reintegration and workforce development initiatives and support the long-term economic and professional advancement of Filipino workers worldwide.
This program directly supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive to prioritize the retraining, upskilling, and reskilling of OFWs, for which his administration has allocated a significantly larger budget for TESDA’s skills development and scholarship programs. (/)