TESDA, PNP renew partnership to upskill IPs, former rebels

October 11, 2023

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has renewed its partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to continue empowering indigenous people (IPs), former rebels, and residents of far-flung communities in the country.

This after TESDA Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu and PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at Camp Crame in Quezon City last October 2.

The partnership aims to provide upskilling and lifelong learning of PNP personnel through technical vocational education and training (TVET) which includes training on specialized/specific qualifications vital to the execution of their jobs, including the conduct of community-based training for IPs, former rebels, identified drug dependents, and other community members.

The MOA also includes the grant of skills training and other capability development programs to beneficiaries of police personnel who were killed in actions or killed in police operations.

Specifically, TESDA, as the government agency tasked to manage the country’s tech-voc training, shall facilitate and conduct skills training, assessment, and certification to identified PNP personnel and prospective PNP trainers who will conduct community-based training.

For its part, the PNP shall provide TESDA with its personnel who will undergo skills training and who will be tapped to conduct community-based training for aforementioned members of the marginalized sector.

In his message, Secretary Mangudadatu shared that TESDA and PNP have a longstanding partnership to bring community-based training into the far-flung areas and share their resources to upskill and reskill members of the marginalized sector.

“With your support, we will be able to reach more Filipinos, and further promote the power of technical vocational education and training, or TVET in providing training for our beneficiaries so that they will become quality and skilled workers who are empowered to help themselves, their families, and their communities,” the TESDA Secretary emphasized.

It can be recalled that TESDA and PNP signed a MOA in July 2020. With the collaboration of TESDA, PNP, and the Department of National Defense (DND), a total of 4,154 uniformed personnel were trained on various TESDA courses.

“Since 2020, TESDA has tapped the services of uniformed personnel to bring community-based training in far-flung areas to implement skills training for the indigenous peoples, former rebels, and other community members,” Secretary Mangudadatu shared.