THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has renewed its linkage with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in continuously training indigenous peoples (IPs), former insurgents, and residents of far-flung communities nationwide.
To formalize this endeavor, Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu of Tesda and Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The partnership aims to provide upskilling and lifelong learning of police officers via technical-vocational (tech-voc) education and training (TVET), which includes learning in specialized or specific qualifications crucial to their job performance, such as the conduct of community-based learning for IPs, ex-rebels, identified drug dependents, and other community members.
The pact also covers skills training and other capability-development programs for beneficiaries of PNP personnel who were killed in action or police operations.
As the government’s arm tasked to manage the country’s tech-voc training, Tesda will facilitate and hold skills training, assessment, and certification to identified personnel and prospective trainers from PNP who will conduct community-based knowledge transfer.
The PNP, on the other hand, will provide Tesda with personnel who will undergo skills training, and then teach members of the marginalized sector.
According to Mangudadatu, both parties have a longstanding partnership that brings community-based training into remote areas, and allows the sharing of their resources to upskill and reskill those belonging to the marginalized.
“With [ample partner] support, we will be able to reach more Filipinos, and further promote the power of…TVET in providing training for our beneficiaries, so that they will become quality and skilled workers who are empowered to help themselves, their families, and their communities,” the Tesda official said.
