10 July 2020
TAGUIG CITY - Journalists and their dependents can now avail free skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) after a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed on July 9 at the TESDA Central Office between the agency and the National Press Club (NPC).

The MOA, which aims to provide training access to journalists and their immediate families, was signed by TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña and NPC President Rolando Gonzalo with TESDA Deputy Director General Lina Sarmiento and NPC Vice President Paul Gutierrez as witnesses.

The agreement states that NPC members or any two immediate members of their family can avail the free skills training, including the immediate family members of the Maguindanao Massacre victims.

Lapeña explained that this undertaking is part of the agency's mandate to help alleviate the living condition of society’s marginalized sectors.

"As long as they are qualified to be a TESDA scholar, we are ready to provide them the skills training they need to start something which may help them during this pandemic," he said.

The qualified beneficiaries will be accepted under the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) of TESDA which focuses on "Key Employment Generators" (KEGs) in the areas of agri-fishery, tourism, information technology, electronics, automotive, and other priority manufacturing industries.

TESDA is tasked to identify or qualify the Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) where the beneficiaries shall be trained in accordance with the existing rules and guidelines of the agency.

The agency will also award National Certificates and Certificates of Competency to the beneficiaries who have successfully finished their courses and passed the assessment.

PHOTOS:

Attached here are photos of (from left to right): NPC Vice President Paul Gutierrez, NPC President Rolando Gonzalo, TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña, and TESDA Deputy Director General for Operations Lina Sarmiento during the MOA signing held at TESDA Central Office in Taguig City on Thursday, July 9, 2020.