TESDA-Cordi, trainees help fix damaged schools

KADAMAY’. Personnel from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Cordillera regional office and the Abra provincial office repair houses damaged by the July 2022 magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Abra, in this August 2022 photo. TESDA Cordillera said it intends to do another round of its “Kadamay Kalamidad” program to help repair school infrastructures damaged by Super Typhoon Egay. (Photo courtesy PIA-CAR FB)

By Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be sending volunteers and its scholars to help prepare public schools for the opening of classes on Aug. 29 as part of the the Department of Education's ongoing “Brigada Eskwela.”
    TESDA-Cordillera assistant regional director and concurrent Abra provincial director Jimmicio Daoaten, in an interview on Tuesday, said that aside from their employees doing volunteer work, the agency also has ongoing training programs in the field of construction where scholar-trainees can be tapped to as part of their on-the-job training.
    “There are already some schools divisions of the DepEd in the Cordillera who have asked for assistance and we are responding to the call for help,” Daoaten said.
    He said they have a “training-cum-production” program where scholar-trainees are taught how to implement projects and a “community-based” scholarship program where trainees immerse themselves in the community to carry out projects.
    “They are supervised by their instructors to assure the quality of the job aside from the safety of the would-be occupants of the structure,” Daoaten said.
    The official said TESDA also has a “Kadamay Kalamidad” program which allows them to provide scholarships and skills training to affected families or people who can help these families.
    He said TESDA also sent volunteers to affected areas during past calamities, like the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Abra last year.
    “We train people, we equip them with knowledge which skill can be used for a livelihood activity or to contribute in alleviating the sufferings of calamity victims. We support thru the training we give,” Daoaten said.

Aside from fixing structures, the TESDA can also give bread and pastry production -- to feed those who are working to fix the houses or to have an income from the sales of the produce. -- PNA