President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former party-list representative Aniceto dela Rosa Bertiz III as deputy director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development, Malacanang said on Monday.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Bertiz, former representative of ACTS OFW Party-list, could assist returning overseas Filipino workers.

"Mr. Bertiz was the Representative of ACTS OFW Partylist, and with the repatriation of thousands of overseas Filipino workers to the country, Mr. Bertiz has a huge task to fulfill, which is, to provide these returning Filipinos quality-assured and inclusive technical education and skills development, as envisioned by TESDA," he said.

Roque said the Palace hopes that everyone would support Bertiz as he begins his new assignment in this extraordinary time.

Over 50,000 OFWs have already returned to the country after they were displaced due to coronavirus disease pandemic. Thousands more are expected to return to the country. Celerina Monte/DMS