TESDA allots P2.2M for 365 MP municipal trainees

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Involving barangay constituents avail of  skills trainings  is a thrust of Barangay Pangkabuhayan Act or RA 9509, a pioneering nationwide program implemented by the Technical Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) starting this year.  

A  P70 million appropriation of TESDA  in this year’s  general appropriations act (GAA) budgeted  under locally  funded projects is specially intended for  4rth to 6th class municipalities through wage or self -employment. 

For  Mountain Province, TESDA’s Barangay Kabuhayan Program shall hold free skills trainings to  365 beneficiaries  from seven municipalities of the province.

P2.2 million shall benefit trainee-scholars from  the municipalities  Besao (P324 thousand with 55 trainees), Sagada (P324K with 56 trainees), Tadian (P318K with 40), Bauko (P318K with 56), Sabangan (P324K with 52), Sadanga (P324K with 71 and Natonin (P318 with 35 trainees).

Interested trainees may register through the office of the barangay chairman/council.

Trainees should be  15 years old and above and at least a high school graduate or have reached third or 4rth year secondary school education.

TESDA director for Mountain Province Gabriel Cayacay said those who signified their interest and are not accommodated this year shall be recipients for next year’s budget.

Training  fund shall answer for honorarium for  resource persons, demonstration materials,  assessment fees, and trainee allowance. Trainees are expected to daily attend the course offered and provide their own meals, snacks and transportation.  

Trainees are entitled to P60 allowance per day and certificate of competency (CoC). 

Trainees who attend advanced trainings are entitled to NC1 or NC2 (National Certificate).

 Trainings are done by accredited service providers from the TESDA provincial  training center at Sabangan, Tadian School of Arts and trade (TSAT) at Tadian,  Khai training center and Xigen College at Bontoc, Mountain Prvince.

Though trainings can be held in respective barangays at the request of trainees, Cayacay said during a press conference here.

One training group should be composed of at least  15 persons for a duration of  10-36 days depending on the type of training skill.

Skills trainings offered are automotive servicing,  carpentry, masonry,  electrical installation and maintenance, welding, metals and engineering, motorcycle maintenance, dressmaking, tailoring, bookkeeping; and bread, cake and pastry making.

Cayacay encourages  those interested whether as individuals or in groups to approach TESDA officers here at  the Government Center at Bontoc and  submit proposals to their training requests.   

Other skills training program scholarships offered by TESDA for this year are sourced from a P400,000 grant from the Provincial Governor’s office, P1 million from Bottoms up Budgetting (BuB), P2 million from training for work scholarship program (TWSP), P498,000 from  private education student fund assistance (PESFA), P47,160 from the special training and  employment program (STEP) specially sourced from Magdalo.

The  provincial skills training program which includes computer related skills started with a P200,000 grant from then congressman Victor  Dominguez pursued by former governor now congressman Maximo Dalog  and reached  P400,000 budget during the term of then Gov. Leonard Mayaen. – Gina Dizon