Manila Bulletin
Tulong Trabaho Act, which grants free access to tech-voc education, 'unfunded' - Lapeña
Tulong Trabaho Act, which grants free access to tech-voc education, 'unfunded' - Lapeña
Tulong Trabaho Act, which grants free access to tech-voc education, 'unfunded' - Lapeña
Published Aug 29, 2019 09:07 pm
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The Tulong Trabaho Act, which was signed into law By President Duterte in February this year to grant free access to technical-vocational education, is "unfunded" under the proposed 2020 national budget.
TESDA Director General Isidro Lapeña (Alberto Garcia)
This was revealed by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Isidro Lapeña during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on TESDA’s proposed P11.851-billion budget for 2020.
The TESDA chief said not a single centavo was allotted for the implementation of the law after Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy asked him if the Department of Budget and Management sets aside a budget for Republic Act No. 11230 or the Act Instituting a Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program and Free Access to Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Herrera- Dy specifically asked why the DBM slashed P1.5 billion from the TESDA budget for the implementation of the law, which was signed on February 22.
“ one of the authors of the law and apparently that P1.5 billion was not part and this is a law na kailangan set aside ang pondo na ito. I am wondering why it was slashed out by the DBM considering this was signed by the President. Hindi po dapat mawala itong appropriation. Meron po bang kahit isang singko na napunta sa Tulong Trabaho?,” she asked.
"On the record that we are furnished, there is none,” was Lapeña’s response to the House Leader.
"Then Mr. Chair, that is clearly a violation of the law. Because it is very clear that there has to be appropriation signed by the President. I want to put that on record that the budget of Tulong Trabaho Act must be put in TESDA so they can implement the law that we just passed and signed by President last February 22,” Herrera-Dy said.
RA 11230 mandates the establishment of a Tulong Trabaho Fund that finances scholarships of workers to training programs as needed by industries.
The funds necessary for the implementation of the law is sourced from TESDA budget in the current General Appropriations Act (GAA) and hereinafter be included in the GAA of the succeeding year.
During the budget hearing, Lapeña disclosed that out of their proposed 63 mobile training laboratories, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved 10, with funding of P50 million.
“We proposed 63 mobile training laboratories, which is worth P536 million, but we were just provided P50 million for 10 mobile training laboratories,” he said.
"These mobile training laboratories are our response to the need of our kababayan in the far-flung areas because we wanted to shift the present system that the trainees go to the training centers. Paano kung nasa baryo at sa mga bukid na hindi makakapunta sa training center. Instead, we wanted to reach out to them and we need these training laboratories,” the TESDA Chief said.
Herrera-Dy, and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said TESDA’s mobile training laboratories should be supported.
“Ako ay nanininiwala sa mobile training laboratory. Sila mismo ang pupunta sa doorsteps ng mga trainees at mas maraming nag-aaral because of this,” Herrera-Dy said.
Lapeña said those conflict-affected and mountainous areas will benefit from the mobile training laboratories.
“Maraming IPs (indigenous peoples) as well as former rebels na kailangan maserbisyuhan. Don’t expect them to come to the training centers of TESDA, we have to go up there,” he said.
Of the TESDA’s proposed P11.851 billion budget for next year, P11.302 million goes to Technical Education and Skills Development Program, P84.3 million, Technical Education and Skills Development Regulatory Program; and P49.8 million, Technical Education and Skills Development Policy Program.
TESDA Director General Isidro Lapeña (Alberto Garcia)
This was revealed by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Isidro Lapeña during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on TESDA’s proposed P11.851-billion budget for 2020.
The TESDA chief said not a single centavo was allotted for the implementation of the law after Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy asked him if the Department of Budget and Management sets aside a budget for Republic Act No. 11230 or the Act Instituting a Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program and Free Access to Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Herrera- Dy specifically asked why the DBM slashed P1.5 billion from the TESDA budget for the implementation of the law, which was signed on February 22.
“ one of the authors of the law and apparently that P1.5 billion was not part and this is a law na kailangan set aside ang pondo na ito. I am wondering why it was slashed out by the DBM considering this was signed by the President. Hindi po dapat mawala itong appropriation. Meron po bang kahit isang singko na napunta sa Tulong Trabaho?,” she asked.
"On the record that we are furnished, there is none,” was Lapeña’s response to the House Leader.
"Then Mr. Chair, that is clearly a violation of the law. Because it is very clear that there has to be appropriation signed by the President. I want to put that on record that the budget of Tulong Trabaho Act must be put in TESDA so they can implement the law that we just passed and signed by President last February 22,” Herrera-Dy said.
RA 11230 mandates the establishment of a Tulong Trabaho Fund that finances scholarships of workers to training programs as needed by industries.
The funds necessary for the implementation of the law is sourced from TESDA budget in the current General Appropriations Act (GAA) and hereinafter be included in the GAA of the succeeding year.
During the budget hearing, Lapeña disclosed that out of their proposed 63 mobile training laboratories, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved 10, with funding of P50 million.
“We proposed 63 mobile training laboratories, which is worth P536 million, but we were just provided P50 million for 10 mobile training laboratories,” he said.
"These mobile training laboratories are our response to the need of our kababayan in the far-flung areas because we wanted to shift the present system that the trainees go to the training centers. Paano kung nasa baryo at sa mga bukid na hindi makakapunta sa training center. Instead, we wanted to reach out to them and we need these training laboratories,” the TESDA Chief said.
Herrera-Dy, and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said TESDA’s mobile training laboratories should be supported.
“Ako ay nanininiwala sa mobile training laboratory. Sila mismo ang pupunta sa doorsteps ng mga trainees at mas maraming nag-aaral because of this,” Herrera-Dy said.
Lapeña said those conflict-affected and mountainous areas will benefit from the mobile training laboratories.
“Maraming IPs (indigenous peoples) as well as former rebels na kailangan maserbisyuhan. Don’t expect them to come to the training centers of TESDA, we have to go up there,” he said.
Of the TESDA’s proposed P11.851 billion budget for next year, P11.302 million goes to Technical Education and Skills Development Program, P84.3 million, Technical Education and Skills Development Regulatory Program; and P49.8 million, Technical Education and Skills Development Policy Program.