The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) is set to introduce a new qualification called Barangay Infectious Disease Management Services (BIDMS) Level Il into the TESDA Online Program (TOP) by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
The agency said that this new qualification aims to enhance not just the country’s COVID-19 response at the barangay level but will also make the country prepared for any emerging infectious diseases in the future.
This is part of the TESDA's move to bolster its health-related qualifications in its online learning platform with the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Currently, there are two health-related qualifications that are lodged in TOP that can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These are Barangay Health Services NC II and Contact Tracing Level II which were integrated in the TOP last May and December 2021 respectively.
According to TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña, these qualifications, unlike the regular training programs, are self-paced and non-facilitated. He added that these are free and accessible to all Filipinos.
“In place of the trainers or learning facilitators, the learners learn through the carefully-designed eLearning materials that they can access anytime and anywhere,” Lapeña said.
TESDA is also offering Barangay Health Services NC II and Contact Tracing Level II under its regular scholarship programs. The said trainings run for 58 and 15 days respectively and being implemented under blended learning delivery mode.
The strengthening of the health-related programs is in line with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) Resolution no. 111 dated April 22, 2021 where TESDA was tasked to develop training and instructional materials to enhance the enforcement of COVID-19 strategies at the barangay level.
With this, Lapeña encouraged Filipinos, especially those who are working at the barangay level to avail its free health-related courses in the TOP, noting that these will be helpful to them as they help prevent the further spread of the virus in their respective barangays.
“Barangay officials are our first line of defense in the prevention of the further spread of the virus in the communities. As such, proper training and education should be given to them,” he said.
For those interested to register, enroll or view the list of available courses, just visit https://www.e-tesda.gov.ph/.
Enrollees will be given a certificate of completion after finishing a course. However, only those who enroll for full qualifications like the Barangay Health Services NC II can undergo competency assessment and receive National Certificate.