12 Feb 2011
Aurora’s lush vegetation and forestry, rich marine life and spectacular beaches gave TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva an inspiration and a vision to harness the skills of the people in the fields of agriculture and fishing, which have not been fully tapped not only in scenic Aurora but in other coastal areas as well like Isabela, Quezon and Cagayan.
“The coastal areas of these provinces have enormous potential. These areas are very rich in natural resources. For one, I am amazed that Aurora has the biggest forest cover. We could train the people to harness their skills in agriculture, fishing and even in tourism to open up more livelihood opportunities for the people," Villanueva said yesterday.
" If we develop the skills of the people in these fields, we can open up a wave of prosperity for the people and our country,” he said.
Villanueva was invited by Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara as a keynote speaker at the province’s founding anniversary last weekend. He was awe-struck at the beauty and rich resources of the province.
Aurora, located in the Central region, borders the provinces of Quezon, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Isabela. To the east of Aurora is the Philippine sea, which explains why the province boasts of rich marine resources.
Villanueva said people in Aurora and other coastal areas need to improve and upgrade their skills in farming and fishing and use modern technology to yield more profit and positive results.
“This is where TESDA comes in, we can provide the training, we can help harness the skills of the people to match the government’s thrust to develop pacific coastal areas into top agricultural-business and fishing zones. Likewise, we can train the people for the tourism industry,” said the TESDA chief , who also visited the world- renowned surfing sites of Aurora.
“I tell you. there are a lot of employment opportunities in these sectors for the people. Simultaneous to developing these industries is the world-class training of the people through the utilization of state of the art technology that TESDA is very willing and able to provide. People just have to open their minds,” he said.
Rep. Angara, for his part, expressed his heartfelt gratitude toward TESDA and Villanueva for being sensitive and concerned to the needs of the Aurorans and for sharing their dream for a better life.
“We feel very fortunate that TESDA chief Villanueva is our strong partner in uplifting the people’s lives through jobs generation and sustainable livelihood, not only in Aurora, but in the whole country. We are thankful that TESDA is very active in helping out people to improve their lives through their dynamic programs. TESDA’s wholehearted support gives hope to the people,” Angara said.
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