PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — Institutionalizing skills training programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at the barangay level will help produce skilled individuals to boost local economies, said TESDA Palawan Provincial Director Gerardo Mercado.
Mercado said that this principle will let the local government units run their own training centers where they can offer national certificate (NC) levels 1 and 2. It is also part of the devolution under the Mandanas-Garcia ruling and the directive of TESDA Director General Suharto T. Mangudadatu.
“Kasi ang challenge natin sa probinsya ay ang distansya ng bawat lugar kaya ang ibang nasa malalayong bayan ay nahihirapan sila pumunta rito. Kung maisasakatuparan kung saan ang mga LGU ay may sarili silang training center na pinatatakbo nila, kung ano ang kailangan ng mga community, skills na kailangan para mapalago ang ekonomiya ay maibibigay nila,” he said.
Once LGUs start to offer NC levels 1 and 2, TESDA can start to offer certification for NC3, NC4, and diploma programs.
However, there are some LGUs that are hesitant to establish their own training centers due to the observed decrease in their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).
“May mga LGU na nagcommit, iba naman ay hesitant kasi sinasabi nila sa Mandanas-Garcia ruling na ang purpose noon ay ma-increase ang kanilang IRA. Pero sabi nila sa halip na tumaas ay medyo yung iba [ay] bumaba,” he said.
TESDA commits to support technical assistance and scholarship programs that could finance the training programs for their implementation. (RPG/PIA Mimaropa – Palawan)
