July 12, 2018
The free skills training by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the drug surrenderers across the nation was a success.
TESDA Director General, Secretary Guiling “Gene” A. Mamondiong said that 20,550 drug surrenderers have availed of free skills training for the period of 2 years from 2016 to June 2018 in various courses.
The drug surrenderers are among the beneficiaries of the TESDA program dubbed ‘Skills Training for Special Clients’ which also include the indigenous peoples (IPs), calamity-affected communities, inmates and dependents, persons with disability (PWDs), family enterprises, and rebel returnees.
Based on the status report on skills training for drug surrenderers, 20,550 underwent skills and livelihood training which they have already used in starting their new life and in looking for employment.
In Region 1, 1,512 benefited from the training; Region ll, 1,332; Region lll, 4,431; Region lV-A, 1,074; Region lV-B, 2,545; Region V, 544; Region Vl, 1,565; Region Vll, 587; Region Vlll, 494; Region lX,974; Region X, 894; Region Xl, 961; Region Xll, 1,242, CARAGA, 892; CAR, 420; NCR, 888; and the ARMM, 145.
Among the courses they availed were driving, cookery, automotive servicing, bread and pastry production, heavy equipment operation, carpentry, masonry, food and beverage services, wellness, steel fabrication, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW).
It would be recalled that Mamondiong announced the free skills training and livelihood assistance for "Tokhang" surrenderers in support of President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs.
The TESDA chief believes that skills training is the key in changing those whose lives were direly affected by illegal drugs, hence, he encourages other drug surrenderers to go to the nearest TESDA offices and training centers and avail of the free skills training.
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