Villanueva: PH to benefit from huge talent pool of returning OFWs

Government should have a "national strategy" on how to tap the "huge talent pool" made up of hundreds of thousands of overseas Filipino workers who have returned home for good during the pandemic.

The call was made by Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva after the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the number of registered OFWs shrunk by 18.6% in 2020 as compared to the year before.

"This is the brain gain we should be exploiting. There is a social dividend waiting to be earned from this reverse Diaspora," Villanueva said.

"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.

Villanueva said "manpower and mentorship" which returned OFWs can provide is needed for post-Covid economic recovery.

One area is construction, both private and public, Villanueva said. "The Build Build Build program has been hobbled by the lack of skilled technicians."

According to him, balikbayan ICT professionals could also help in pushing the economy towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution future.

The education sector will also benefit if these OFWs will be hired to teach and impart real world knowhow, Villanueva said. "The OFWs can be agents of upskilling."

He also proposed that if the national government is having a hard time filling technical positions in its 250,000 job vacancies, "then perhaps it should launch a job fair or hiring roadshow to lure qualified OFWs."

According to the PSA, the ranks of OFWs dropped from 2.18 million in 2019 to 1.77 million in 2020. The net drop of 405,000 is almost half of the 897,000 OFWs government repatriated since the onset of the pandemic until December 31, 2021.

Villanueva said there are many laws which mandate government to reintegrate these workers to the economic fabric of the nation.

"Yung Section 17 ng bagong pasa na Department of Migrant Workers Act ay nag-uutos ng 'full-cycle national reintegration program.'

The law explicitly calls for the "transfer of technology from skilled or professional OFWs," he said.

Another law is Republic Act 11230, which institutes a Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program, popularly known as Tulong-Trabaho Act. To boost labor skills, Tulong-Trabaho Act resulted in the adoption of a broad Philippine Skills Framework which "seeks to equip Filipino workers with skills mastery and lifelong learning."

Both the Tulong Trabaho Act and the DMW Act are sponsored and principally authored by Villanueva.

"To fastrack 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 said.

_____________________________________________________________________

Villanueva: PH, may malaking talent pool mula sa mga balikbayang OFWs

Kailangang magkaroon ng "national strategy" ang pamahalaan kung paanong mapapakinabangan ang malaking talent pool mula sa daang libong mga overseas Filipino workers na nagpasyang umuwi ng Pilipinas sa kasagsagan ng pandemya.

Ito ang panawagan ni Sen. Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva matapos maglabas ng ulat ang Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na bumagsak sa 18.6% ang bilang ng mga registered OFWs noong 2020 kumpara noong 2019.

"Ito ang brain gain na dapat nating samantalahin. May malaking pakinabang ang bayan mula sa reverse diaspora na nararanasan natin ngayon," ani Villanueva.

"Makakatulong sa pagpapayabong ng labor pool ng bansa ang mga umuuwing OFWs. Sa kanilang pagbabalik, dala nila ang mga kasanayan o skills na nakuha nila abroad. Pwedeng makinabang ang ating bansa sa mga job experience nila. Kailangan lang pangunahan at ipakita ng ating gobyerno kung paano ito gagawin," dagdag pa ni Villanueva.

Sinabi ng senador malaki ang maitutulong ng "manpower at mentorship" na maaaring ibigay ng mga OFWs para sa post-Covid recovery ng ekonomiya ng bansa.

Isang area na pwedeng pasukin ng mga returning OFWs ang construction, pampubliko o pribado man, ayon kay Villanueva. "Ang kakulangan ng sapat na mga skilled technician ang nagpapabagal sa Build Build Build program."

Binanggit din ni Villanueva na maging ang mga balikbayang ICT professional ay may malaking maiaambag para tulungang makasabay ang ating ekonomiya sa Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Maging ang sektor ng edukasyon ay maaaring makinabang kung papayagang magturo at magbahagi ng kanilang kaalaman sa ating mga estudyante ang mga balikbayang OFWs, ani Villanueva. "Pwedeng maging agents of upskilling ang mga OFWs."

Ipinanukala rin ni Villanueva na kung nahihirapan ang gobyernong punuaan ang mahigit 250,000 technical positions sa burukrasya, "marapat lang na magsagawa ng job fair o hiring roadshow para ma-engganyo ang mga qualified OFWs."

Ayon sa PSA, bumagsak ang bilang ng mga OFWs mula 2.18 million noong 2019 sa 1.77 million noong 2020. Ang net drop na 405,000 ay halos kalahati ng 897,000 repatriated na mga OFWs mula nang magsimula ang pandemya hanggang sa huling araw ng Disyembre noong isang taon.

Pahayag ni Villanueva, maraming mga batas na nag-uutos sa gobyernong magpatupad ng reintegration ng mga OFWs sa ekonomiya ng bansa.

"Yung Section 17 ng bagong pasa na Department of Migrant Workers Act ay nag-uutos ng 'full-cycle national reintegration program.'

Tuwirang pinag-uutos ng batas ang "transfer of technology from skilled or professional OFWs," ayon sa senador.

Isa pang batas ay ang Republic Act 11230 na nagtatag ng Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program o mas kilala bilang Tulong Trabaho Act.

Iniaangat ng Tulong Trabaho Act ang kasanayan ng mga manggagawa sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatupad ng Philippine Skills Framework na "naglalayong bigyan ng skills mastery at lifelong learning ang manggagawang Pilipino".

Si Villanueva ang sponsor at may-akda ng Tulong Trabaho Act at ng DMW Act.

"Upang mas mapabilis ang pagpapatupad ng mga programa na magpapataas ng technical skills ng mga Pilipino, kailangan ang partisipasyon at tulong ng ating mga OFWs. Kung nagawa nilang maiangat ang ekonomiya ng ibang bansa dahil sa kanilang kakayahan, malaki rin ang magagawa nila sa pag-asenso ng ating bayan," pahayag ni Villanueva.