TAGUIG CITY -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is pushing for additional foreign language training courses that would advance the competitive edge of Filipino workers here and abroad.

TESDA Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Rosanna A. Urdaneta said TESDA is eyeing more language-related courses to add up to the already-existing courses under its National Skills Language Center (NLSC).

“As we continue to respond to the demands of our workers, we shall soon be offering various language courses in partnership with foreign embassies and other interested international organizations,” she said.

The TESDA OIC also pointed out that TESDA is not just teaching the language itself but also the country’s culture. This, according to her, will help Filipino workers to easily adapt and adopt with the county’s’ language and culture.

In his inaugural address last June 30, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of “sharpening the language skills” of Filipino workers, including Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) that will give them the advantage to survive and thrive in foreign soils.

At present, TESDA’s NLSC offers English Proficiency for Customer Service Workers, Japanese Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture Level II, and Spanish Language for Different Vocations.

In 2021, the NLSC has produced 1,148 graduates, of whom 508 students finished English Proficiency for Customer Service Workers; 450 in Japanese Language and Culture; and 190 in Spanish Language for Different Vocations.

Among the TESDA language course graduates were uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), employees of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and OFWs.

TESDA Deputy Director General for Operations Aniceto “John” Bertiz III disclosed that TESDA’s NLSC has projects and programs in the pipeline designed to strengthen the delivery of language skills training to Filipino workers.

According to him, TESDA’s NLSC is planning to open additional language courses, such as Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Italian, and French.

“TESDA will continue to implement and improve its programs and services designed to improve the language skills of Filipino workers here and abroad in line with the new Marcos administration’s priority agenda,” he said. (TESDA)