November 25, 2018
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General, Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña, has vowed to further improve the agency’s various technical vocational education training (TVET) programs.
This was pointed out by Lapeña during an executive meeting of officials and employees of TESDA Region Xll held at the Viajera Hotel, Koronadal City last Nov. 13 as part of his first regional tour as head of the agency.
Lapeña says his "takeoff point" as Director General of TESDA is to continue building on the successes of TESDA programs.
“My takeoff point as Director General of TESDA is to improve on what TESDA has now,” says Lapeña, as he cited the importance of TESDA’s programs for TVET.
In order to get a better understanding of TVET program implementation and to get a firmer grasp of the situation on the ground, Lapeña says that he intends to visit all the regional and provincial offices before the year ends.
Under his administration, Lapeña says that the agency will continue to prioritize and implement scholarship programs for the poor, indigenous peoples (IPs), people with disabilities (PWD), rebel returnees, and victims of armed-conflicts.
Lapeña recalls that during his stint in the Philippine Constabulary (PC), now the Philippine National Police (PNP), he was associated with maintaining peace and order. In his PhD dissertation paper, he traced the four roots of rebellion: poverty, ignorance, injustice, and corruption.
He says that the solution to ending or preventing rebellion is to eradicate poverty.
“It is not giving to those who have already. It is more to give to those who do not have much in life, those belonging to the lower strata of society," explains Lapeña.
The TESDA chief further says it is important to give those who are less fortunate better access to free skills training as this will increase their chances to find employment or come up with their own business.
Lapeña adds that he chose to visit first Region Xll because the region is close to his heart.
It was in Region Xll where he served for a long time as a policemen when it was still under the PC until it became the PNP, and says that he has has a lot of good memories of his stay and of his accomplishments there.
Aside from Koronadal City, Lapeña toured General Santos and Davao City during his eight-hour stay in Region Xll.
Lapeña also expressed his support for the plans to construct the TESDA Regional Office and Manpower Training Center buildings in Region Xll.
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