13,258 DRUG DEPENDENTS BENEFIT FROM TESDA SKILLS TRAINING

August 18, 2017

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) are giving 13,258 drug dependents a new lease on life by providing them skills training.

TESDA Director General, Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong said that many people have become interested in the skills training program given by the agency since it started in 2016.

Based on the information received by TESDA Deputy Director General for Operation Alvin Feliciano, officer-in-charge of the skills training for drug surrenderees, Region 3 tops with the most number of drug surrenderees with 2,165 while Region 8 has the most number of drug dependents given skills training with 77.

For the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), there were 233 drug dependents who received skills training; National Capital Region (NCR) – 644; Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) – 145; Region 1 – 1,416; Region 2 – 854; Region 4A – 974; Region 4B – 2,057; Region 5 – 244; Region 6 – 359; Region 7 – 359; Region 9 – 599; Region 10 – 601; Region 11 – 580; Region 12 – 1, 232 and CARAGA Region – 719.

Mamondiong said that the number of drug dependents who will benefit from the skills program is expected to increase based on the barangay skills mapping in various region.

“As part of this Agency’s two-pronged strategy for poverty reduction, we are striving for social equity by making technical vocational education and training available and accessible to more and more of our countrymen who have otherwise been neglected.  We have opened our doors wider to drug dependent surrenderees and their family members; to the out-of-school youth; the unemployed; for returning OFWs and their dependents; to those in the basic and marginalized sectors; to family members of the AFP and PNP personnel killed or wounded in action; and, to inmates and detainees including their families," said Mamondiong.