More than 200 overseas
Filipino workers in Hong Kong who passed the recent Special Professional
Licensure Examination (SPLE) for teachers formally took their oath at the OFW
Global Centre at United Centre on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Of the 528 teachers
who took the SPLE in Hong Kong, 290 passed, for a record pass rae of 54.92%.
This surpassed the 50% passing rate posted in 2001, when more than 500 of about
1,000 OFWs who took the exam in Hong Kong made the grade.
Migrant Workers Secretary
Hans J. Cacdac flew in on a short visit, along with Administrator PY Caunan of
the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, to award certificates honoring the
253 passers who attended the ceremony, and were each called up the stage to be
recognized.
Consul General Romulo
Israel, Jr later administered the oath to the new teachers, all of whom were
promised permanent items as teachers in their hometown on their return home,
under the DMW’s “Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am, Sir” program.
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| Jenna Aluyen from China is feted by DMW and Consulate officials for topping the SPLE in HK |
Given special recognition
were two OFWs who scored the highest in the examination administered in Hong
Kong last year: Jenna Rose Aluyen, a secondary level science major from China
who achieved an SPLE Rating of 89% and Cherry Mae Caballero Ferrer an
elementary education graduate from Hong Kong, who scored 87.40%.
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| Elementary school teacher Cherry Mae Ferrer is HK's top scorer |
In his keynote speech,
Secretary Cacdac heaped praise on the OFW passers who toiled for hours to care
for other families while away from their own and persevering with their studies
late into the night after their exhausting work.
“Pero narito kayo ngayon, nagtagumpay, nakamit ang lisensya, ang holy
grail at handang maglingkod sa bayan…Ito ang kwento ng pag-asa na hindi ninyo
binibitawan at hindi bibitaw sa inyo,” Secretary Cacdac said.
(But here you are now,
triumphant, with licensed secured – the holy grail – and ready to serve the
country…This is the story of hope that you have never given up on, and will
never give up on you.”) |
Also joining the
tribute to the new teachers was Labor Attache Cesar Chavez, Jr. who gave the
opening speech and Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Francis Ron de Guzman,
who is in charge of the department’s reintegration program.
In her closing
remarks, Filipino Overseas Professional Teachers in Hong Kong (FOPT) president
Gemma Lauraya thanked everyone who helped bring back the SPLE to the city after
six long years, and tearfully recalled the effort that went into making that
happen.
Aside from acknowledging
the support given by the Philippine Consulate and DMW officials, Lauraya also
thanked the Carl Balita Review Centre for giving free review lessons to the HK OFWs
who took the SPLE.
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| Gemma Lauraya's FOPT is the prime mover of the SPLE in HK |
The SPLE administered on
Sept 21 last year was the first to be held in Hong Kong since 2019.
Anti-government protests followed by the global pandemic caused a halt to the
yearly exercise which began 25 years ago.
The determination of
HK OFWs to reclaim their passion for teaching was reflected in their
outstanding achievement in the 2025 examination as shown by the following
figures:
Elementary Level – 103
passers out of 237 (43.46%)
Secondary Level – 187
passers out of 291 (64.26%)
Overall – 290 passers
out of 528 (54.92%)
Labor Attache Chavez
said in his opening remarks that at least three qualifying examination for
Filipino professionals might be held in Hong Kong this year, in coordination
with the Professional Regulation Commission in the Philippines.
Among those being
pushed by OFWs in Hong Kong are the licensure examination for nurses and midwives,
and the civil service examination for those who want to work in government.
Chavez said various
organizations are being consulted in determining which qualifying examination
should be held here for OFWs who want to pursue professional careers.
