CABARROGUIS, Quirino (PIA) — At least 200 of the over 400 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Quirino are qualified for various livelihood programs of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Region 2.
Regional Director Rogelio Benitez made the confirmation after the just-concluded Job Fair in the province.
He said, however, that only the OFWs who had returned to the Philippines within the past three years are qualified for assistance such as livelihood assistance, Balik Pinay, Balik Hanapbuhay, among others.
Benitez also said they will come back to the province to provide the necessary skills training for the identified beneficiaries through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to prepare them for their chosen livelihood projects.
Benitez further said that the activity, which is the first provincial job fair in the region, aimed to bring the services and programs closer to the Quirinians, saying that of all the provinces in Cagayan Valley, Quirino has the smallest number of OFWs, who have availed the programs and services of the DMW.
“We invited the TESDA for the provision of skills training for our workers so that we can match them with the job order needed in the different countries,” Benitez said.
He likewise said they have been conducting overseas job fairs in 12 districts of Region 2 to protect overseas job seekers from exploitation and illegal recruitment and scams as he advised the public to be cautious of scams involving individuals or groups posing as recruiters.
“The job fair was sponsored by the provincial government through Representative Midy Cua and Governor Dax Cua,” Benitez said. (OTB/TCB/PIA-2, QUIRINO)
