A former baker who spent three years working in Kuwait walked away from a government job fair Tuesday with a new career path — hired on the spot as an English as a Second Language teacher.
Edna Tuscano was among nearly 3,000 overseas Filipino workers and their families served at the Bayanihan Fair held at the Leyte National High School Gymnasium on April 15, led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“Nakakatuwa po na may ganitong programa ang gobyerno para sa aming mga OFW. Malaking tulong po ito, lalo na’t hindi na ako makabalik sa aking trabaho sa Kuwait dahil sa sitwasyon sa Middle East,” Tuscano said.
The event was designed to support OFWs navigating reintegration into the country, particularly those forced to return due to the continuing unrest in the Middle East. Services on offer included medical assistance, psychosocial counseling, livelihood support, skills training, and employment facilitation.
Private recruitment agencies partnered with the government to put forward more than 2,500 local and overseas job openings during the fair’s on-site job matching component.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac framed the initiative as a direct fulfillment of the President’s directive to leave no returning worker without support.
“Walang Pilipinong maiiwan. Walang Pilipinong pababayaan. Tuloy-tuloy ang ating bayanihan para sa ating mga kababayang nagbabalik sa bansa,” Cacdac said.
The fair drew participation from OWWA, DepEd, DSWD, DICT, TESDA, DOLE, DOH, and DTI, among other institutions — a whole-of-government deployment aimed at addressing the varied needs of displaced workers returning from abroad.
