TESDA, OWWA forge pact to expand OFW skills training, certification

Neil Alcober·7 June 2026, 5:14 pm·1 min read

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DEPARTMENT of Migrant Workers says the returning overseas Filipino workers are part of ongoing government repatriation efforts amid Middle East tensions. — Photo courtesy of Reuters

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Hong Kong on Sunday to expand access to skills development, assessment, certification, and reintegration services for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families.

Coinciding with the signing, TESDA conducted free competency assessments for 63 OFWs in Massage Therapy NC II on 6 and 7 June at the OFW Global Training Center in Hong Kong under its Overseas Assessment Program (OAP).

The OAP, launched in 2014 and institutionalized through implementing guidelines issued in 2016 and amended in 2019, provides free competency assessment and certification services to OFWs in their countries of employment.

Implemented in partnership with OWWA and the Department of Labor and Employment through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the program has assessed 10,468 OFWs from its inception through 31 May 2026. Of these, 9,054 earned certifications, resulting in an 86.49 percent certification rate.

Hong Kong remains a key site for the program, with OWWA Hong Kong requesting the latest round of assessments for Massage Therapy NC II graduates.

Under the new agreement, TESDA and OWWA will establish coordinated mechanisms for OFW profiling, referrals, skills training, assessment and certification, scholarship support, data sharing, systems integration, and joint program implementation through regional offices, migrant centers, and overseas facilities.

The partnership builds on existing government initiatives to improve OFW access to skills development services. In 2024, TESDA signed a separate agreement with the Department of Migrant Workers to facilitate skills and livelihood training for OFWs and their families overseas, including access to TESDA scholarship grants and certification services.

Officials said the TESDA-OWWA partnership is expected to strengthen the government's reintegration and workforce development programs while supporting the long-term economic and professional advancement of Filipino workers worldwide.