Due to its initiative for convergence with its partner-agencies to empower the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the far-flung communities of the country, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was lauded by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
TESDA was recognized by the NCIP for its outstanding execution of convergence with its member agencies on the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict's (NTF-ELCAC) Poverty Reduction Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) in a recent virtual meeting with NCIP and PRLEC member-agencies.
As the PRLEC Chairperson, TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña assured NCIP that the cluster will continue to do its part.
"The presentation of the IPs concern will be of great importance to improve the way each government agency carries out their mandate in as far as the IPs are concerned," he said.
During the meeting, NCIP Commissioner Dominador Gomez presented the Strategic Workflow and the essential building blocks to strengthen the IPs, IP Organizations and the IPs outside of the ancestral domains towards IP Integration.
The NCIP Regional Directors also reported on the 124 IP areas in Mindanao that were visited together with other national government agencies led by Secretary Capuyan.
Four categories of issues and concerns were identified by the group which are the rights to ancestral domain/land; rights to self-governance; empowerment; social rights to social justice; human rights; and rights to cultural integrity brought about by ongoing implementation of projects by government and non-government agencies without undergoing the proper free and prior informed consent (FPIC) processes.
Currently, in the village of Malabog, Paquibato District, a skills training on Animal Production (Poultry-Chicken) NC II Production is being conducted by TESDA and attended by 25 Lumads.
While 50 IP trainees have undergone competency assessment in Photovoltaic Systems Installation NC II at Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
Secretary Lapeña also urged the PRLEC cluster members to focus efforts to reach as many “kababayan” and give the assistance and support that they deserve from the government which they have been longing for.
The said virtual meeting was attended by more than 100 participants and representatives from PRLEC member-agencies, representatives from the NTF-ELCAC, NCIP Commissioners and other officials.