The Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), has intensified its reintegration assistance for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) teachers through nationwide job and services fairs aimed at facilitating their return to the Philippine public education system.

The initiative was carried out through the Bayanihan Para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa National Reintegration Network (NRN) Fairs, which provided returning licensed educators and their families access to employment pathways, government assistance, and education-related services.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that assistance mechanisms will support returning educators through the transition process.

“Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, hindi namin kayo hahayaang mag-isang harapin ang mga hamon sa inyong pagbabalik,” he said.

The NRN fairs were launched in Tacloban City by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Secretary Angara as part of a broader government response to assist OFWs affected by geopolitical tensions, including developments in the Middle East.

DepEd data showed strong participation in the “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir (SPIMS)” help desk, where returning educators inquired about pathways to enter or re-enter public school service.

Recorded inquiries included at least 166 in Cagayan Valley, 105 in Calabarzon, 96 in the Negros Island Region, 94 in Central Visayas, 78 in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and 48 in Mimaropa.

DepEd also provided additional services during the fairs, including scholarship information for qualified OFW family members, education vouchers for children of returning workers, and assessment support through the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) and Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT).

Licensure support and review assistance were likewise made available for teachers preparing for board examinations.

Across participating government agencies, the NRN fairs logged around 3,100 inquiries, according to initial figures from event organizers.