10 help OFWs hone English, plan reading skills

Sixty-five Filipino workers set aside three hours of their weekends to improve or upgrade their English language and plan reading skills with the help of 10 Filipino volunteer professionals between January and March.

Philippine labor attaché Joann Lourdes Lavilla yesterday said the dedication and generosity of the 10 volunteer teachers are deeply appreciated, considering that they gave up hours of their weekends to help others.

“The bayanihan spirit is alive in these volunteers,” Lavilla told Saipan Tribune.

She also congratulated the 65 students for their perseverance, and “for making the decision to improve their skills and knowledge.”

On March 27, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office handed certificates of completion to 44 workers who completed the Plan Reading Course for three hours on Sundays from Feb. 1 to March 22.

Nine officers and members of the Marianas Filipino Engineers and Architects Association led by president Bong de Guzman conducted the classes.

Carlito Marquez, MAFEA secretary and one of the volunteer teachers, said he was glad to impart his knowledge and skills to others.

He said the course taught students from different fields how to read civil, mechanical, structural and electrical project plans, among other things.

“The students asked us if we could also teach advanced plan reading that will include calculation. MAFEA is willing to do that,” Marquez said.

Besides de Guzman and Marquez, the other plan reading course instructors were Jun Dela Cruz, Hector Sevilla, Erick Tabanda, Ruel Magtalas, Danny Bicera, Roger Talapian, and Jun Liberato.

Lavilla said what’s also interesting about the plan reading course was that two Filipino workers on Tinian were coming to Saipan every weekend just to attend the course.

“Just like the others, they also persevered in their studies,” Lavilla added.

Fe Calixterio, a retired educator and a former director of Northern Marianas College’s Adult Basic Education and GED Services, also volunteered her time and knowledge of the English language with Filipino workers.

Twenty-one students completed the Basic English Language Development Course conducted by Calixterio, in cooperation with the University of the Philippines Alumni Association-CNMI Chapter, every Saturday from Jan. 17 to March 28.

The Plan Reading and the English Language Development Courses are among the Philippine Overseas Labor Office’s skills upgrading program courses.

Since their inception, these skills upgrading courses have helped thousands of Filipino workers in the CNMI further improve their skills.

POLO also offers courses on basic and advanced computer operations, computer fixing and troubleshooting, basic Japanese/Nihonggo, basic automotive troubleshooting, communication in the workplace, dress making, home décor, basic baking, basic bread making, culinary arts, and food processing, among other things.

“Just recently, for those courses related to livelihood and entrepreneurship, we added a session wherein students are taught simple business concepts. This is part of the reintegration program for overseas Filipino workers,” Lavilla said.

The home décor course was the first class given additional session on business concepts.