VP NOLI PUSHES FREE STRESS MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR OFWs
October 9, 2008

Vice President and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro yesterday said that the immediate implementation of the stress management training in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS), will prevent tragic incidents as our OFWs experienced in the past.

“We can expect a better prepared OFW leaving for their respective jobs after this training,” De Castro said.

De Castro earlier endorsed the training, wanting Filipino workers leaving for abroad to first gain skills and learn techniques on stress management considering the peculiar socio-cultural setting in the country they will be working in.

The Department of Labor and Employment adopted De Castro's proposal at no cost to OFWs and made it part of the expanded medical testing as required by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

“With this program, we would be assured that those Filipino workers we send abroad can adapt to the demands of their jobs. If from the test they are found psychologically unprepared, then they still have the chance to better prepare and work on their fitness and not just hastily leave for their foreign jobs,” De Castro said.

De Castro said that the state's policy of giving protection and aid to our workers is realized with programs that not only directlty provide assistance and compensation to abused workers but also through preventive measures such as the PDOS and the stress management trainings.

“I believe this would be an effective deterrent to those deplorable cases our OFWs usually find themselves in. Whenever they are faced with severe work conditions, instead of snapping under stress, we can see our Filipino workers handling the situations better and adjusting to the pressures of work,” De Castro said.

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