19 December 2013
New US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg saw the Filipino talent and ingenuity at work when he visited Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) central headquarters during a training program on the assembly of solar night lights. These solar night lights are being distributed to typhoon survivors.
At the electronics laboratory of the TESDA in Taguig City, Goldberg mingled with the volunteers, trainers and trainees who assembled the solar lights from kits provided by the US Government thru My Shelter Foundation.
The American envoy's visit coincided with the International Exchange Alumni Volunteers’ Day organized by the US Embassy to recognize its alumni-volunteers who devoted their time and effort to produce solar night lights for the Yolanda victims with the help from the TESDA trainers from the regions nationwide who serve as their coaches. The trainers are undergoing training in the assembly of solar powered devices including innovation of solar products at the TESDA Central Office.
TESDA has distributed hundreds of units of the solar lights in provinces in the Visayas hit hard by typhoon Yolanda, including Leyte, Samar and Negros. This was TESDA’s way of helping ease the condition of the typhoon survivors. A number of households remain without electricity since the November 8 calamity.
Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua, Deputy Director General for Field Operations, thanked Goldberg for his visit, saying this boosted the morale of the volunteers, trainers and trainees.
"With the international community behind us, who would not say that the typhoon affected areas will bounce back,” Pascua said.
Yolanda left 6,000 people dead, close to 30,000 injured, and more than four million homeless.
The government has begun crafting a master plan for relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation, which would entail over P100 billion in funds.
Goldberg, who replaced Harry Thomas Jr. as Washington's top diplomat in the country, hit the ground running following his arrival in Manila with visits to Leyte and Bohol, which was earlier struck by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
For the solar night light project, the US Embassy gave an initial funding of US$10,000 which was augmented by funds from TESDA.
The solar light has a solar-powered LED that uses locally available materials such as plastic bottles. The light uses solar energy to power the lamp that will illuminate the bottle at night.
TESDA and My Shelter Foundation will continue implementing training in the assembly of solar night lights as funding comes. Further, training on this assembly will be conducted in selected TESDA Technology Institutions nationwide and in the TESDA Centers in TESDA Complex, Taguig City, Metro Manila.
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