Residents near the construction site of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan are now ready to work after completing their month-long training and assessment initiated by the Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) in partnership with the San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
With the construction of the P735 billion airport complex project, hundreds of residents are about to be relocated.
TESDA, together with SMC tapped the TESDA Regional Training Center in the town of Guiguinto, TESDA KorPhil Training Center and ATEC Technological College to provide them free skills training so they could find other means of livelihood or employment.
A total of 58 residents completed their courses and attended the graduation ceremony on Wednesday at the Regional Training Center Central Luzon (RTCCL) in Guiguinto town.
Twelve graduates took Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II; another 12 graduates took Cooking; 11 took Dressmaking NC II; also 11 graduates finished Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II; and another 12 graduates also finished HEO-Hydraulic Excavator NC II. All of them received certificates of completion and tool kits from TESDA.
In his message, TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña congratulated the graduates for finishing the training program despite the challenges brought by the pandemic.
"Despite the pandemic, we strive to continue serving our kababayans. I am confident that the TESDA skills training will reinforce your ability to adapt to the new opportunities in your community. The National Certificate from TESDA will be your stepping stone to a more comfortable life and sustainable future," he said.
Lapeña also thanked SMC and The Provincial Government of Bulacan for their support.
It can be recalled that their training started last September and was conducted in a Flexible Learning Approach.
To ensure the safety of the trainees, SMC provided them with service vehicles for their travel from their homes to the training center and vice versa with strict observance of proper health safety protocol. Free lunch was also provided during their training.