Twenty-five scholars have finished training in Barangay Infectious Disease Management Services (BIDMS) Level II under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The scholars, mostly from various areas of Parañaque City, have already received their training certificates during their graduation ceremony held at the MuntiParLasTaPat District Training Center and Assessment Center, TESDA Complex, Taguig City.
The event was graced by TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña, TESDA Deputy Director General for TESD Operations Lina Sarmiento, TESDA Chief-of-Staff Juliet Orozco, TESDA-NCR Regional Director Florencio Sunico, Jr., TESDA-MuntiParLasTaPat District Director Atty. Marichelle De Guzman, and Parañaque Livelihood Resource Management Office OIC Guillermo Gatus, Jr.
In his message, Lapeña expressed his hopes that BIDMS Level II will also be adapted by other TESDA Regional and Provincial Offices to accommodate endorsed trainees from other Local Government Unit (LGUs) in the country.
"With the offering of BIDMS Level II Course, we can prepare our communities not just for COVID-19, but for other possible emerging infectious diseases. We hope that this program will also be implemented by other regional and provincial offices to curb the virus," he said.
The TESDA Chief also explained that the competency standards of BIDMS was developed in consultation with the practitioners and technical experts from the Department of Health.
"This particular training was really designed in order for the LGUs to hire the graduates and be deployed in various barangays," he added.
BIDMS Level II has an 88-hour training duration and is implemented through a blended learning mode with corresponding training allowances.
Graduates of this training course are recommended to be tasked in implementing and monitoring infection control policies and procedures, disseminating preventive measures in infectious disease transmission and the importance of vaccination, and assisting in the management of infectious disease in different settings.
In line with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases Resolution no. 111 dated April 22, 2021, TESDA was tasked to develop training and instructional materials to enhance the enforcement of COVID-19 strategies at the barangay level.