The Department of Education has expanded support for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) teachers returning to the country, as more educators seek to rejoin local classrooms amid global uncertainties.
The initiative was highlighted during this week’s nationwide Bayanihan Para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa National Reintegration Network (NRN) fairs, organized with the Department of Migrant Workers. The events provided returning licensed teachers and their families access to employment opportunities, education services and other forms of assistance.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the program aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize displaced workers and ensure they have stable opportunities upon returning home.
“The directive of President Bongbong Marcos is to ensure that there are good jobs waiting for our returning teachers so they will not have to be separated from their families again,” Angara said in a statement released Sunday. He added that the government aims to support returnees throughout their transition.
Marcos and Angara launched the regional fairs in Tacloban City on April 15 as part of a broader government effort to assist OFWs affected by conflicts in the Middle East.
Data from the fairs showed strong interest in the “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir” (SPIMS) program, which helps returning educators reintegrate into the public school system. Attendance included 166 educators in Cagayan Valley and 105 in Calabarzon, while dozens more sought assistance in other regions, including Central Visayas, the Negros Island Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Returning teachers who benefited from the program shared their experiences during a segment titled “Balik Turo: A Hero’s Journey Way Home.”
Pamela Moron, who taught in Cambodia for three years before returning to Leyte, said she found renewed purpose teaching Filipino students. Kaydee Pelayo, who came back from the United Arab Emirates during the pandemic, encouraged fellow OFWs to take advantage of government support.
“I thought there would be nothing to return to in the Philippines, but for OFWs like me, don’t hesitate because the government has the SPIMS program to help,” Pelayo said.
Participants also cited the value of being reunited with their families while continuing their teaching careers.
Beyond employment, the Department of Education offered scholarships for qualified family members of OFWs pursuing teaching, as well as subsidies for their children through a voucher program. The agency also provided accreditation and placement tests to help students reintegrate into the local school system, along with licensure support and review incentives for aspiring teachers.
Officials said the expanded program reflects a “whole-of-government” approach to easing the transition of returning workers while strengthening the country’s education workforce.
