ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DBM urged to release TESDA's remaining P7.59 B funds for scholarship programs this year

DBM urged to release TESDA's remaining P7.59 B funds for scholarship programs this year

Published Sep 14, 2020 09:20 am

House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez has called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release the remaining P7.59 billion funds of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to ensure the full-blown implementation of its scholarship programs for this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO

Romualdez, together with 16 other lawmakers, led the filing of House Resolution No. 1201 directing the DBM to release the balances of appropriations and/or allotment for the TESDA's scholarship programs amounting to P7, 598, 736,000.

“The P7, 598, 736,000 under Republic Act No. 11465 (General Appropriations Act of 2020), is expected to serve 266, 938 enrolled individuals,” Romualdez, chairperson of the House Committee on Rules, said.

Under the resolution, the House leader stressed that the full implementation of the scholarship programs is necessary “in order to support a wide magnitude of affected workers and enterprises due to economic slowdown, closure of establishments, and the expected influx of returning OFWs.”

Romualdez also explained that the filing of the resolution is also in response to President Duterte’s marching order "to increase the effort of all government agencies to alleviate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to assist returning OFWs and displaced Filipino workers and enterprises.

Among the co-authors of the resolution are AKO Bicol partylist Reps. Alfredo Garbin Jr. and Elizaldy Co, Makati City 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos Jr, Bukidnon 3rd District Rep. Manuel Antonio Zubiri, Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong, Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez, Aklan 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, MAGSASAKA partylist Rep. Argel Cabatbat, Deputy Speaker and Laguna 1st District Rep. Dan Fernandez, Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Wes Gatchalian, Iloilo City lone District Rep. Julienne “Jam” Baronda, House Minority Leader and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., and Bulacan 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.

During last week’s budget deliberations, lawmakers sought to augment the budget of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and its attached agencies, including TESDA.

The House Committee on Appropriations pushed for the DBM’s restoration of the 2018 and 2019 funds allocated for the starter toolkits for scholars in the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP) after some House members expressed disappointment over TESDA’s failure to immediately distribute the tool kits meant for STEP trainees.

ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.