TESDA empowers Tuba Indigenous People

TUBA, Benguet - Ibaloi, Kankanaey, and Ifugao residents of Barangay Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet celebrated the Indigenous Peoples (IP) Month Celebration on October 21, 2017. The celebration was organized by the Tadiangan Peoples Community Organization (TIPCO) to promote welfare and harmony among the different IPs in their barangay.

TESDA Regional Director Efren Piñol, the guest speaker, assured the residents that TESDA programs, especially scholarships, will reach their community as Indigenous Peoples (IP) are among the priority sectors in the agency’s 17-point reform and development agenda. He added that IPs should take advantage of these free skills training as this could lead to employment and improve their economic standing.

With respect to the different cultures in Cordillera, the RD said that TESDA-CAR is open to dialogue with the council of elders about programs that will fit and respond to the needs of the IPs they represent. He cited the experiences with the Manobo tribes in Magpet, North Cotabato when he served as mayor of the municipality.