OFWs’ journey home leads to teaching once more as DepEd expands reintegration fair

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TACLOBAN CITY, 15 April 2026—To honor overseas teachers who return to their calling in the country, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday officially launched the nationwide expansion of reintegration services to bring displaced overseas Filipino educators back into the local workforce.

This effort is headlined by the Balik Turo: A Hero’s Journey Way Home initiative, a featured segment of the whole-of-government Bayanihan para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa National Reintegration Network (NRN) Regional Fairs held at Department of Education (DepEd) venues across the country.

“Ang direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos ay tiyaking may naghihintay na maayos na trabaho para sa ating mga gurong nagbabalik-bayan upang hindi na nila kailangang muling mawalay sa kanilang mga pamilya,” Secretary Angara said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, binibigyan natin ng boses at pagkakataon ang ating mga bagong bayani na maglingkod muli sa ating mga silid-aralan,” he added.

During the kick-off at the Leyte National High School Gymnasium, the Balik Turo program featured teachers from the Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir (SPIMS) Program who shared moving testimonials regarding their successful transition from overseas employment to positions in public schools.

These educators expressed their gratitude for being allowed to continue their teaching vocation within their own communities while being reunited with their families through the SPIMS Program.

“Masaya po ako sa ganitong programa kasi malaking tulong ito para sa mga guro na mga OFW na gusto nang bumalik sa Pilipinas at manilbihan bilang isang guro ulit,” said Evan Jose P. De Veyra, who taught in Thailand for 17 years and now serves as Teacher I at Alangalang National High School in Leyte.

“Nothing compares with teaching your own countrymen at ang magkatrabaho po na malapit sa pamilya ay napakasarap na feeling. I am very grateful to our government for supporting us,” said George Michael Celiz who now teaches at Julio Mapa Elementary School in Talisay City.

Since its inception in 2014, the SPIMS program—a collaborative effort with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)—has successfully integrated 11,056 OFW teachers into the DepEd system.

The nationwide expansion of the NRN Fairs and Balik Turo program follows the successful pilot in Quezon City on April 4, reflecting President Marcos’ priority to ensure the safety and economic security of over 5,000 OFWs and their dependents recently repatriated from high-risk areas in the Middle East.

Throughout the week-long NRN Regional Fairs, DepEd is providing essential services including a dedicated SPIMS Help Desk and on-site registration for Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) tests.

Families of OFWs can also access Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) registration and Senior High School voucher program support to ensure the uninterrupted schooling of their children.



To further professional growth, DepEd through the Teacher Education Council is offering scholarships in priority programs, alongside sponsorships for board exam review classes and professional licensing fees.

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