Overseas Filipino workers try out beauty course

HAIR cutting, feet pampering and other beauty courses were the order of the day for returning overseas Filipino workers, many of whom have had not so beautiful experiences from their jobs abroad.Through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, returning OFWs and several of their family members were put to rigid training to equip them with the necessary skills in finding new jobs by making people beautiful and feeling good about themselves.

At the end of the course, 38 OFW returnees and repatriates from Romania, Saudi Arabia, and Dammam graduated from the training program.Twenty-four of them completed the 40 hours of training on hair cutting, while 14 OFWs took the training on manicure, pedicure, and foot spa.Six of those who completed the training were immediately hired by salons in Metro Manila, namely: Ness Astillas Salon, Lexxusa Salon, Oriental Salon and Spa, Tony Evangelista Salon, Rudy Reponte Salon, and Edwin Samot Salon.Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva said the training aimed at tapping the skills and competencies of the OFWs and their families to help them find new jobs or start their own business.

We want to assure our returning OFWs that are being repatriated is not the end of the road for them. We are giving this training to tap or further hone their skills to pave the way for new opportunities for them,Villanueva said, noting that a number of Filipino workers in the Middle East manage their ownbeauty salon.The free training was conducted by the Philippine International Cosmetologist Association in partnership with Tesda, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the National Reintegration Center for OFWs.PICA president and well-known hair and make-up stylist Fanny Serrano personally supervised the training together with his leading stylists Gem Manuel, Bong Policarpio, Ernie Viray, and Beth Granada.