Landmark bill boosts Filipinos’ chances at a job abroad
Filipinos may soon have an easier time getting jobs anywhere in the globe after a landmark law was passed earlier this month.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into law Republic Act no. 10968 (R.A. No. 10968), also known as the PQF or Philippine Qualifications Framework Act, which ensures quality in both the country’s education and training systems.
The aim of the PQF act is to “make qualifications earned here in the country recognizable in other countries and enable employers to respect and value these qualifications,” according to a press release issued by the Senate last January 22.
A LANDMARK LEGISLATION. That’s how Senator Joel Villanueva described the PQF Act as it was signed into law./IMAGE Joel Villanueva Official Facebook page
“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,” said Sen. Joel Villanueva, author and sponsor of the PQF Act.
TWO THINGS FILIPINOS ARE KNOWN FOR OVERSEAS. Not to throw shade, but apart from being skilled workers and domestic helpers, Filipinos aren’t known for anything else as far as jobs are concerned. The passing of R.A. 10968 will soon change that./IMAGES KC Wong on flickr and JP Quirodes from Wikimedia Commons
The PQF Act effectively removes one of the barriers holding Filipinos back from obtaining a higher-paying job overseas: globally-recognized qualifications. This looks to benefit Filipino professionals the most, as they are usually held back by qualifications and certificates that do not carry over to other countries.
Apart from having national standards that conform to international qualifications, the PQF Act will also establish the PQF-National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC), to be led by the Secretary of Education as its chairperson.
The following government agencies will also be included in the PQF-NCC, with their heads acting as members of the council:
- Department of Labor and Employment
- Commission on Higher Education
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
- Professional Regulation Commission
A member will also be taken from the economic and industry sectors.
In the same press release, the Senate said that the PQF incorporates an eight-level qualifications descriptor defined in terms of knowledge, skills and values, application, and degree of independence, as well as setting the standards for qualification outcomes.
According to Sen. Villanueva, the council will send 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.
While Villanueva expressed his thanks to President Duterte, he maintained that the PQF “ is a policy in progress and we need to continue raising awareness about the new law and ensure acceptance by stakeholders to the PQF—the blueprint of the success of every Filipino.”
Source: Senate of the Philippines, Inquirer.net
Images: KC Wong on Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, Joel Villanueva Official Facebook page
