Residents take part in a hands-on banana bread-making session during the launch of the “Skills to Go” mobile livelihood training program in a Manila barangay. (Photos courtesy of the Office of the Vice Mayor)

The Manila local government on Saturday, June 6, rolled out a mobile livelihood training program aimed at bringing skills development directly to communities, starting with a banana bread-making workshop.

Dubbed “Skills to Go,” the initiative uses a customized truck equipped with training materials and staffed by instructors from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), allowing sessions to be conducted in barangay-covered courts instead of fixed training centers.

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno" Domagoso and Vice Mayor Chi Atienza led the program’s launch, which seeks to expand access to technical training, particularly for residents who may find it difficult to travel.

Atienza said the program is designed to go beyond short-term assistance by equipping participants with practical skills they can use for income.

“Hindi sapat na nagbibigay lang tayo ng panandaliang tulong. Kailangan maturuan kayo ng skills na tutulong sa inyo para makatayo sa inyong mga paa (Providing short-term aid is not enough. People must be taught skills that will help them stand on their own),” she said.

City officials said the program targets sectors such as single parents, senior citizens, and other marginalized groups, to help them start small businesses or improve employment prospects.

A participant at the launch, a single mother, said the training provided her with ideas for a potential source of income using minimal capital.

With pilot runs underway, the city government is coordinating with barangay officials to schedule additional sessions, particularly on weekends, to reach more residents.