PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, PSF President Esther O. Santos, and PLDT Global President and CEO Albert V. Villa-Real and team, together with partners from Microsoft and officials from the Department of Migrant Workers turnover #LearnSmart Kits, tablets, and a training certificate to beneficiaries at the launch of the campaign for OFW empowerment.
To honor overseas Filipino workers, PLDT Global Corporation (PLDT Global), together with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), officially launched a joint initiative to empower overseas Filipinos and assist their families.
“Our OFWs need the kind of dignity and respect we ought to give them because they sacrifice a lot for us. The amount of money that they bring into our country is very substantial and I think our OFWs is the single, biggest, most successful endeavor that we have in the Philippines. We are glad to have this opportunity to help them and their families, especially in their time of need,” said PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
A former OFW himself, Pangilinan shared that he understands the plight of Filipinos overseas. “You really battle with homesickness because you are far from your family and loved ones. You tend to look for the Filipino way of life, and when you’re overseas, you must adjust to a new culture. And the only way to cope with loneliness is to work, so that you can earn and support your family back in the Philippines.”
As part of MVP’s birthday celebration, PLDT Global, PSF, and DMW have turned over tablets and #LearnSmart kits to the children of Rhodel and Catherine Abes, an OFW couple in Qatar, and a tablet and Microsoft Training certification to Musa Elawad, a repatriated OFW from Sudan. These OFWs have been chosen by partners as the first batch of beneficiaries of this campaign.
“This is just the beginning of a strong partnership with the DMW and PSF focusing on the OFW community. PLDT Global is here to empower and uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos working abroad, from when they decide to leave the country to work overseas, until they reintegrate in our community," said Albert V. Villa-Real, President and CEO at PLDT Global.
A #LearnSmart kit is a learning connectivity companion that contains a Smart LTE Pocket Wifi and flash drive preloaded with learning content for students. LearnSmart is an integral part of the PLDT Group’s broader commitment to help the country achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Inclusive Quality Education.
“This is just the beginning of a long-term partnership with PLDT Global. For our part, we want our OFWs to have higher paying jobs or opportunities in e-commerce or in the IT space -- which are very much aligned with PLDT’s core business. Sometimes when they leave the country, they tend to have jobs that are not in their line of expertise, so giving them a certification can help upskill them and hopefully, help them in their reintegration as they look for jobs in the Philippines,” said PSF President Esther O. Santos.
The DMW has partnered with the private sector, including PLDT Global, to bring services closer to about 2 million overseas Filipinos worldwide. “We are grateful for this partnership with the PLDT Group that enables us to support our OFWs, especially by offering them with knowledge tools and devices. This is very much in line with our goal to empower them as they reintegrate in our community after their lives abroad,” said DMW Assistant Secretary for Reintegration Venecio Legaspi.
PGC and PSF remain firm in their commitment to support the DMW in helping OFWs achieve a better future for their families.
