New law increases Filipinos’ chances of jobs abroad

Sen. Joel Villanueva. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The signing into law of a landmark legislation that would institutionalize a national qualifications framework was a “dream come true” for the Philippine education sector, Senator Joel Villanueva said on Monday.

Villanueva, former head of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, was referring to Republic Act 10968 or An Act Institutionalizing the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF), which he authored and sponsored in the Senate.

The recently enacted law, he said, would ensure quality in education and training systems, make qualifications earned here in the country recognizable in other countries and enable employers to respect and value these qualifications.

“This landmark legislation will pave the way for meaningful education reforms that will bring wider opportunities to every Filipino, especially international recognition and cross-country employability,” Villanueva said in a statement.

Through harmonization and standardization, the PQF, he said, could help Filipinos moving from one country to another to work, or to continue their education or training.

“We have entered into the realm of global competitiveness and issues of comparability of Filipino skilled workers and professionals working in different parts of the world have made it imperative to institutionalize the PQF. In the Asean region, we position ourselves as leader in the field of education and training,” he said.

Villanueva said the law also provides a clear picture of the competencies that workers need for the jobs they want while employers could easily identify the competencies their employees must possess.

“Hence, it can seal the gap between educational institutions and the labor market,” he said.

The senator said the law would likewise boost the commitments of the Philippine Qualifications Framework National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC) to the Asean Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF) Committee. The AQRF, he said, is a common reference framework that enables comparisons of education qualifications across participating ASEAN Member States like the Philippines.

“Referencing the PQF to the AQRF will improve the mobility of over 10 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) scattered in nearly 170 countries, through increased recognition of the value and comparability of their qualifications. This will mean opportunities for continuous skills enhancement and, ultimately, more job opportunities for the Filipino workforce,” he pointed out.

In July this year, Villanueva said, the PQF-NCC will submit a report to Asean to signify the relevance and competitiveness of qualifications given to Filipinos.

“Hence, the signing of this new law will hasten the substantiation and implementation of the PQF,” he added.

The senator pointed out however that the PQF is a “policy in progress” as he stressed the need to continue raising awareness about the new law and “ensure acceptance by stakeholders to the PQF – the blueprint of success of every Filipino.” /cbb