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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5091
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Gabriel H. Bordado Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) have a great impact on the nation’s
economic growth. The Philippine Statistics Authority estimates the number of OFWs
working abroad between April and September 2018 to be at 2.3 million, providing a
remittance of 235.9 billion pesos for the same period. Just as importantly, OFWs
bolster and improve the lives of their families back here in the Philippines, and for
that they are regarded as modern-day heroes.

But our OFWs also face the challenge of keeping an edge in today’s highly
competitive global markets. While the skills and knowledge they posses might make
them desirable and competent workers around the world, continued learning and
training should be made available to them in the pursuit of professional growth and
improvement.

Itis essential that the State should provide avenues and access to quality
higher education and skills training, whether online or geographic-based learning
made possible through the Philippine embassies and consulate offices abroad.

This Act seeks to provide opportunities and access to quality education,
whether in nature of college, graduate studies or skills training to Overseas Filipino
Workers, as well as their dependents living with them abroad.

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5091

Introduced by Representative Gabriel H. Bordado Jr.

AN ACT
PROVIDING OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS ABROAD
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “OFW Higher Education and
Skills Training Act.”

SEC. 2, All Philippine embassies and consulate offices abroad are hereby mandated
to work with Philippine-based academic degree-granting institutions, preferably
with online class offerings, duly recognized by the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED); and/or technical vocation institutions (TVIs) duly recognized by the
Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) to make available
courses and/or program offerings, whether degree or short courses, which can be
made available to OFWs and/or their dependents abroad, within their respective
areas of jurisdiction.

SEC. 3. For such purpose, our existing embassies and consulates abroad shall be
used as venues for the provision of higher education programs, whether for college
or graduate studies, or for skills training, Also, the existing personnel of said
embassies and consulates may also be tapped as instructors for the said programs.

SEC. 4. Participating schools who send their faculty members from the Philippines to
teach in the said embassies and consulates shall receive a reasonable subsidy from
the government for said teachers’ travel and lodging expenses, the amount of which
shall be decided on a case-to-case basis.


SEC. 5. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical
Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), shall jointly formulate and
plan the successful implementation of this Act.

SEC. 6. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be included
in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and
thereafter.

SEC. 7. All laws, orders, issuance rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent
with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended
accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved.