Some Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) trainer-volunteers have arrived in areas affected by Typhoon Odette for the provision of skills training and assistance in rehabilitation.
This was after TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña on January 3 led the send-off ceremony of 182 TESDA trainers from Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, IX, XI, XII, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and National Capital Region (NCR).
Seven delegates from NCR and 34 trainers from Region III have arrived in Siargao Islands onboard C-130 of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Another 19 trainers from CAR have arrived in Bohol. The 19 trainers are composed of four trainers of Electrical Installation and Maintenance, nine trainers of Carpentry, and six trainers of Masonry.
The trainers will stay in Bohol for about three weeks to assist the residents in the repair of their houses.
Likewise, a total of 18 trainers and several staff from Region XII have arrived in Surigao City and were welcomed by Mayor Ernesto Matugas Jr. The said trainers had already started the repair of the Provincial Training Center (PTC)-Surigao Del Norte. They will also conduct an ocular visit and assessment of the Provincial Capitol which was also damaged by Typhoon Odette.
Further, TESDA Region II has sent their 11-man team to Region VI, particularly Iloilo. They are set to arrive today.
Lapeña said that more TESDA trainer-volunteers are set to arrive in their assigned areas.
“The augmentation teams shall provide additional manpower and assistance so that relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected regions will be implemented with better efficiency,” Lapeña said.
It can be recalled that the TESDA chief directed a whole-of-TESDA approach in its rehabilitation efforts through a “Buddy System” in which regional offices not directly affected by the typhoon will deploy augmentation teams to the Odette-stricken areas to assist the affected TESDA regional offices.
The deployment is in line with the agency’s “TESDAmayan” initiative which aims to aid communities affected by any crisis brought about by natural calamities, disasters, or any other untoward incidents which cause displacement among the residents.
Lapeña had earlier said that the deployed trainers who will be conducting training on various courses will certainly speed up the rehabilitation and repair of damaged houses and help residents for their everyday needs like food and electricity.
TESDA has also allotted P195-M worth of scholarship funds for this purpose. (TESDA) -rir