GUIGUINTO, Bulacan—At least 830,000 persons nationwide will be benefited under the Barangay Kasanayan para sa Kabuhayan at Kapayapaan (BKKK) Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), said Secretary Guiling A. Mamondiong, the director general of Tesda, on Friday.
Mamondiong, the keynote speaker, led the signing of the pledge of commitment by the stakeholders, who attended the Regional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Stakeholders Conference, dubbed “Strengthening Partnership: A key in achieving Tesda Reform and Development Agenda”, at the Regional Training Center in this municipality in the province of Bulacan.
He was joined by Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado; Andrew Bido, Tesda director in Central Luzon; Diosdado Padilla, Tesda deputy director general for communities and local government unit services; Gregorio Sison Jr., president of Central Luzon Federation of Technical Vocational Institutions Inc.; and Francisco Villanueva, the governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Central Luzon.
He said out of the 42,000 barangays of the Philippines, 54 percent responded to the program. They are still waiting for the remaining 46 percent to enroll.
BKKK is Tesda’s flagship program that focuses on skills training for the self-employed, overseas workers, members of cooperatives, entrepreneurs, family enterprise, drug dependents and rebel returnees.
BKKK is a barangay-based scholarship program or free barangay-based skills training that seeks to provide a right training program for the employment, livelihood and community development of Filipinos at the barangay level where barangay captains can nominate deserving trainees.
Mamondiong believes unemployment and poverty are the main causes of crimes and illegal-drugs problems in the country. He said a P250 cellular phone can cost your life in Metro Manila. He said immediately after the training, the graduates can work or run their business.
He added the department has four kinds of scholarship and student assistance programs, such as the Training for Work Scholarship Program; Private Education Student Financial Assistance; Special Training for Employment Program; and Bottom-up Budgeting in coordination with the local government units.
Tesda offers free voluntary drug tests for its trainees and personnel through the Department of Health in 122 training centers nationwide. There are at least 4,000 private schools offering skills training.
There is at least a P700,000 fund for skills training for drug reformists nationwide. Average is P7,500 per course per trainee. Tesda has at least 18,000 courses and programs to offer. The five major job generators are agrifisheries, construction, health and wellness, tourism and business-process outsourcing.
He said P24 billion is the proposed budget for 2018 for the 1.5 million people interested to take skills trainings compared to the P2.4-billion budget of Tesda this year.