For 31-year-old Adel Caringal, the son of Mario, a retired overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Qatar, one of the most significant challenges faced by Filipinos working abroad is facing loneliness. Having been an OFW himself for two years, Adel recounted his decision to work abroad as a room attendant in Qatar. His purpose was clear - to help his father, who worked as a bus driver in the same Middle Eastern country, in providing financial support for their family in the Philippines.
“Bata pa lang ako, nagtatrabaho na siya sa Qatar,” shared Adel, when asked how many years his father worked abroad, a number that he does not even remember anymore. [He has been working in Qatar since I was a kid.]
Adel returned to the Philippines to assist his ailing mother, finding work as a call center agent. He wanted to return to the hotel and restaurant business, but the pandemic prevented him from doing so.
Last year, his father finally returned to the Philippines to retire and prioritize his health, a decision that posed a risk to their family’s primary source of income. At the same time, Adel had been actively looking for opportunities to upskill himself to add more value to his current career. “To be honest with you, ang dami ko nang nakitang ads, sabi nila free ito, pero in the end, kailangan mong magbayad,” he said. [To be honest, I see a lot of ads that say they are free, but in the end, you need to pay to access them.]
Recent news reports have mentioned studies pertaining to Filipinos looking to upskill themselves, but barriers such as internet access, time constraints, course fees, among others hold them back from doing so, just like Adel.
With the support of international delegates and partners of the ACC 2023, including PLDT Global Corporation (PLDT Global) and the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), the Caringals have been awarded a certification grant as well as technology tools to help uplift their lives in the Philippines.
“This represents a continuation of our steadfast commitment to empower our OFWs, extending our support not only during their employment abroad but, more importantly, during their reintegration into the community upon their return home. We trust that the provision of these tools and certification grants will significantly contribute to enhancing the lives of Mario, Adel, and their entire family in the Philippines," affirmed Albert V. Villa-Real, President and CEO of PLDT Global.
The Caringals were awarded with a Microsoft certification grant, a tablet, and a LearnSmart kit consisting of a Smart Bro Pocket Wi-fi and a USB with pre-loaded learning contents, and additional load to help them access the fastest network of Smart.
“We are very happy with the development of this program, where we get to know the realities of our OFWs. We know of them as our heroes, in terms of remittance, and yet we are seeing that when they come back, sometimes they struggle to reintegrate. So, what we’re doing is really to capacitate our OFWs and their families,” shared Esther O. Santos, President of PLDT-Smart Foundation. “We saw the need for upskilling, and we’re happy to see that our beneficiary is a real match. We have these courses online to help them improve in IT, among others.”
Unbelieving at first, Mario had to assure his son Adel that this was a legitimate grant, coming from PLDT Global and their partner in Qatar.
“Maraming salamat po talaga sa PLDT Global at PSF. Malaking tulong po ito na hindi na ako magbabayad ng training kasi mahal talaga. Maganda na mabibigyan ako ng pagkakataon na madagdagan yung knowledge at skills ko. I’m hoping marami akong matututunan sa program na ibibigay nila sa akin,” Adel said. [Thank you to PLDT Global and PSF. This is a huge help so that I don’t have to pay for expensive training. It’s good that I’ll be a given a chance to increase my knowledge and skills. I’m hoping to learn a lot from this program.]
This collaboration aligns with the PLDT Group's commitment to promoting digital inclusion and lends substantial support to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
