TAGUIG CITY -- To ensure the immediate delivery of assistance to Filipinos, especially among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will soon issue electronic National Certificates nationwide.
TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz said the issuance of e-certificates will start in the fourth quarter of this year as part of the Agency’s commitment to tap digital technology in expediting its services to Filipino workers seeking employment here and abroad.
“The issuance of the e-certificate is our commitment to improving efficiency through digital technology that would lead to enhanced access to employment opportunities for the Filipino workforce,” he said.
DG Cruz added the planned nationwide roll-out of e-certificate is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s directive during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) to make digital services for OFWs a top priority.
Initially, the E-Certificate System has been institutionalized in the National Capital Region (NCR), and a total of 2,286 certified workers were already issued their E-Certificates from August 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
The TESDA-issued NC has been included as one of the requirements of the then Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) for the deployment of OFWs abroad, including seafarers.
Cruz explained that to address the increasing demand, TESDA has issued E-Certificates to strengthen the integrity of the assessment and certification system by reducing human interaction, enhancing efficiency, and adopting IT-based solutions in issuing NCs/CoCs to certified workers.
“These E-Certificates shall also provide easy access to the NC/CoC of certified workers anywhere and anytime from any web browser and most importantly, mitigate the proliferation of fake National Certificates,” he pointed out.
There are two ways to verify the authenticity of E-Certificates. First is through the quick response (QR) code that directs to the information of the worker and allows the company or employer to verify the information including the certification details.
Another way to verify an NC’s authenticity is through the Registry of Certified Workers in the TESDA Website (www.tesda.gov.ph) where some information on the National Certificate is provided. (TESDA)
