Fifty Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have begun a six-week dressmaking training programme aimed at equipping them with skills that could support new livelihood opportunities and help them prepare for a future beyond working abroad.
Organised by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in partnership with Filipino women’s group Pinay Ikaw Na (PIN) at the Crowne Plaza Bahrain, the programme forms part of the Philippine Embassy-Migrant Workers Office (PE-MWO) continuing reintegration initiatives for OFWs.
OWWA welfare officer Juvilyn Gumabay said that the training goes beyond learning to sew, cut fabric and create garments, encouraging participants to view the programme as an opportunity to develop a skill that could eventually provide an additional source of income.
Labour Attaché Dr Orville Ballitoc said that practical training could give OFWs more than a new skill, providing a foundation for livelihood, entrepreneurship and financial independence when they eventually return home.
“Reintegration should not simply mean returning home,” he said. “It should mean returning with greater skills, confidence and opportunities.”
Philippine Ambassador Gines Gallaga also commended OWWA and PIN for organising the programme.
The initiative also includes volunteer assistant teachers who are graduates of previous batches, allowing them to pass on their skills to new participants.
Among them is Lenilla Ronco, 54, from Iloilo, who has lived and worked in Bahrain since 2004.
A Batch Six graduate, she works as a secretary and volunteers as an assistant teacher in the dressmaking programme.
Ms Ronco initially joined the training to prepare for her planned return to the Philippines, where she hoped the skills could create livelihood opportunities. She has since used them for simple alterations and other sewing projects.
Another former participant, Lorily Agustina, 50, an office manager and Batch Two graduate, shared how the programme had helped her grow personally as well as professionally.
“Beyond learning the basic sewing skills, I gained more confidence in myself and, along the way, made new friends,” she said. “The experience has been both useful and meaningful for me.”
Held every Friday for six weeks, the programme provides hands-on training in sewing and dressmaking, progressing from simple projects to more detailed techniques. It will culminate in the creation of a Filipiniana-inspired dress, incorporating elements of Filipino culture and design.
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