Displaced by Mideast war, 11,000 OFW teaches back in PH schools

National

MORE than 11,000 Filipino licensed teachers have left their jobs abroad and returned to public schools in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd).

The agency said it is stepping up efforts to bring home overseas Filipino workers affected by the ongoing Middle East war.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara vowed to make the reintegration process simpler and faster.

"Under the leadership of President Marcos, we will not leave you to face these challenges alone," Angara said in a Philstar report.

The program called SPIMS (Sa Pinas, Ikaw and Ma’am at Sir) helps returning teachers find work in local schools. It also addresses teacher shortages and uses the global experience of OFWs.

At a recent job fair in Quezon City, over 8,000 teachers received financial help. More than 500 took online refresher courses. DepEd also helped OFWs take placement tests and enrolled their children in school vouchers.

For those still overseas, DepEd said it supports over 23,000 students in 27 Philippine Schools across the Middle East. All these schools have shifted to online learning since March.

The department also set up a help desk in Egypt to assist Filipinos with labor concerns and employment papers. The help desk runs until April 9.

"We are here to provide support and clear guidance," Angara said. "To ensure the education and security of our OFWs and their families."(Jene-V N. Saysona, CTU-TC BAEL-ELSD Intern)