Over 4.5K Cordillerans enroll in TESDA tech–voc training

The Technical Education Skills Development Authority enticed a total of 4,519 people to register in the agency’s four-day national Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) enrollment in the Cordillera.

More than a fifth or 929 of the total number of enrollees wanted to be certified farmers focusing on agricultural crop production, organic agriculture production, production of organic concoction and extracts, organic vegetable production, and organic Arabica coffee production. The TVET enrollment was held on Feb. 27 and 28 and April 5 and 6 in the seven provinces of the region. Tesda Regional Director Efren Piñol noted that the number of enrollees wanting a certification in various types of agricultural production had doubled. “Maybe, they see a future in agricultural production, which is common in the Cordillera and they trust the Tesda program,” he said. Piñol said Tesda also supports agriculture through training and by collaborating with the Department of Agriculture. “The DA is also giving focus on its programs in organic farming,” he said. Piñol added Tesda is finalizing an agreement with the DA and the Agricultural Training Institute for the establishment of more farm schools. At present, two organic farming schools are accredited to provide organic agriculture production education. In an earlier visit to Baguio, Tesda Secretary Guiling Mamondiong said the Tesda scholarship is available to everyone. He said as President Rodrigo Duterte wants to lift the economic state of marginalized indigenous peoples, Tesda signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to prioritize IPs who want to be equipped with skills either for employment or for starting a business that would create more jobs. Mamondiong assured that even people in far-flung communities can avail of the government’s tech-voc scholarships through the barangays, which are Tesda’s partners in listing down prospective scholars. He said Tesda is continuously establishing community tech-voc schools, aside from partnering with private institutions that the agency accredits to train Tesda scholars. As part of the nationwide activity, the TVET enrollment in the Cordillera aimed to list down those interested in Tesda skills training offered through a government scholarship grant to get a national certification. A national certification issued by the Tesda is recognized internationally as a document showing that the holder is skilled in a particular field. During the enrollment in February, there were 4,029 who enrolled region-wide: 1,731 in Ifugao, with personal computer operator as top skill choice; 1,034 in Benguet and Baguio, mostly hydraulic excavator and agricultural production (organic and commercial); Mountain Province – 628 mostly bread and pastry production, driving, and bookkeeping; Kalinga – 504 enrollees, bread and pastry production and driving; 119 in Abra, with cookery and driving as the most-desired skills; and Apayao also had driving as the top skill students wanted to learn under government scholarship. Tesda also conducted a TVET enrollment for construction skills, getting 490 enrollees in field last April 5 and 6.