Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Sec. Isidro Lapeña together with the Deputy Director General for TESD Operations, Lina Sarmiento, and Chief-of-Staff Juliet Orozco, visited typhoon-affected areas in Cebu and Bohol.
The newly-installed TESDA-7 Regional Director, Gamaliel Vicente, Jr. with TESDA-7 officials, personnel, and staff warmly welcomed Lapeña and his group as they began their inspection on the agency’s ongoing rehabilitation efforts in TESDA offices and communities around the region.
Lapeña with his entourage and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan visited the Olango Power Plant to conduct site assessment and provide training interventions on the affected areas.
Afterwards, the secretary and his group proceeded to the TESDA Provincial Training Center-Minglanilla and TESDA-7 compound to inspect the offices’ facilities and have a dialogue with the personnel to for his guidance and directives on the local response to affected areas of Typhoon Odette.
Among the areas of partnerships discussed were the establishment of Satellite Training Center in Olango Island which will offer a three-year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology aside from the short-term tech-voc courses.
Lapeña presided over a hybrid meeting with the TESDA-7 regional director, provincial directors, and TTI Administrators.
He had a dialogue with the officials and personnel to discuss the programs, accomplishments and issues such as TESDA’s Barangay Infectious Diseases Management Services Training, the office's home isolation benefit package, and the different quarantine protocols.
On Jan. 14, the secretary with the same entourage went to Bohol and was welcomed by Bohol Provincial Director Winefredo Salas.
He visited PTC-Inabanga, PTC-Pilar, PTC-Tubigon and PTC-Bilar to personally see the damage brought by Typhoon Odette.
He also inspected the initiatives and activities undertaken by the PTCs through the #TESDAmayan program in helping the areas affected by the typhoon.
In line with the Regional Buddy System of the agency, 19 trainers from the TESDA Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were assigned as assisting/buddy of Central Visayas to provide workforce complementation technical services.
Lapeña went to one of the identified areas, Brgy. Canlasid, Loboc where trainers from TESDA CAR provided technical and training assistance in electrical wiring installation to the community.
He also had a dialogue with the trainees and assured them that TESDA is there to help and underscored that government services must be felt by the people.
Afterwards, Lapeña paid a courtesy call with Bohol Gov. Arthur Yap at the Bohol Provincial Capitol.
The secretary assured that TESDA will work jointly with Bohol Province Government to provide the necessary assistance to the Boholanos.
In particular, TESDA will provide the portable sawmill and technical trainers to train and operate the sawmill for the conversion of wood logs coming from uprooted/fallen trees to lumber due to Typhoon Odette.
The lumbers will be distributed to the community for the construction and/or repair of their damaged houses.
Lapeña's visit in Central Visayas is in line with his commitment to bring aid for victims of Typhoon Odette as the agency heads towards its thrust “TESDA, Abot Lahat” in serving and prioritizing those less privileged sectors of society. (PR)
