ILOILO CITY — Thirteen persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Western Visayas have completed the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Araceli Eraldo, focal person for PWD of TESDA in Western Visayas, on Tuesday said there is also an on-going training for another 25 PWDs in Negros Occidental.
Eraldo said they do not ignore PWDs interested to take courses under the TESDA because they believe in their capacities to join the workforce.
“Sometimes, they are even more able than ordinary citizens who are not working,” she said.
“I really salute them (PWDs) for having strong determination to survive,” she added.
TESDA-6, being one of the agencies under the Regional Council on Disability Affairs (RCDA), is leading this year’s celebration of the 40th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week with the theme “Kakayahan at Kasanayan Para sa Kabuhayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran.”
Two of the successful graduates of TVET courses, Mark Lester Artocilla from Aklan and Marojada Dungog from Capiz, were recognized by TESDA-6 during the program at SM City Iloilo, Tuesday.
Despite being blind, Artocilla took a course in massage and is now a self-employed masseur while Dungog, who has a speech impairment, took cookery course and is now a minimum wage earner in one of the restaurants in Capiz.
16 PWDs from the region were also trained on fruit carving after the program.
Eraldo said PWDs interested to take courses are advised to directly go to their nearest provincial offices or schools that are registered under the unified TVET program, registration and accreditation system. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
