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OWWA and Microsoft Inaugurates
Tulay Project for the Benefit of Overseas Filipino Workers
Partnership to give OFWs access to technology and training
Microsoft Philippines
and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) recently
inaugurated the facilities for “Tulay,” an initiative of and
that provides IT training and access to technology that will
enable OFW families to communicate via the Internet. More than
three thousand OFWs and their families are targeted to benefit
from the project.
The initiative is implemented in partnership with the Filipino
Workers Resource Center in Malaysia, and the Filipino Overseas
Workers in Singapore. More OFW communities in other countries
are planned to be included in Tulay in the near future.
Microsoft has donated roughly Php 4 million in cash and Php 3
million worth of software and training (estimated retail value)
for the first year of the project.
Tulay is part of Microsoft Unlimited Potential, a global
initiative focused on providing technology skills for
underserved individuals. Recipients of UP grants are public
centers where people can gain IT skills and training to help
themselves and their communities.
UP Tulay Community Technology Learning Centers are located at
the office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
in Pasay, the Bayanihan Center in Singapore, and the Philippine
Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) will provide the initial training
for trainors in the project in the Philippines.
Through UP Tulay, OFWs and their families and dependents will
receive training on basic computer applications such as Word,
Excel (for simple accounting and budgeting), and email/web
functionalities. Those already armed with the basic computing
skills will be given advanced courses. The community technology
centers will also have facilities where OFWs and their families
can communicate via e-mail, video conferencing, and MSN chat.
Overseas Filipino Workers are hailed as the “new heroes of the
Philippine economy” with their significant contribution, in the
form of regular remittances to the country, of an average of $ 8
billion per year. Today, there are 7.4 million OFWs around the
world. An estimated 2,500 Filipinos leave daily to work abroad.
These are according to data from the National Statistics Office.
A large percentage of these workers face discrimination and
abuse in the countries where they work. OFWs also risk the
disintegration of the family and breakdown of marital ties due
to physical separation from their loved ones for prolonged
periods.
Through UP Tulay, OFWs are expected to gain IT skills that
enhance the work they offer their employers, increasing their
value in the workplace. The skills they learn will further help
them gain a competitive edge if they decide to return home or
pursue another career. The program also mitigates the social
impact of working overseas by using technology to connect OFWs
and their families. OFWs will also be able to keep abreast with
the latest news and events happening back home.
According to Microsoft Philippines Managing Director Antonio
“TJ” Javier, “UP Tulay is part of Microsoft’s commitment to
bridge the digital divide for OFWs. This program helps OFWs to
extend their skills through IT training, while at the same time
pursue a healthy, productive family life.
For more information, press only:
Daisy Sabangan, Corporate Image Dimensions, (632) 810-8935,
[email protected]
Mae Rivera-Moreno, Microsoft Philippines, (632) 811-8613,
[email protected]
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