September 6, 2018

Davao City, Davao - Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong, Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), yesterday challenged 200 trainers from Marawi City and Lanao del Sur to “multiply” by training 3,000 other trainers who in turn should train workers in skills needed not only to rebuild the economy of Marawi City and Lano del Sur but also to accelerate their own socio-economic development.

Mamondiong, who attended the culminating activity of TESDA’s Multiplier Trainers’ Training Program on Agri-based Product Skills Livelihood held at the Korea-Philippines Vocational Training Center in Davao City, said the 200 trainers could provide the spark to ignite an economic revolution in Muslim Mindanao.

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has started the road to long-lasting, sustainable, and just peace by signing into law the Bangsamoro Organic Law.  We, at TESDA, are embarking on an economic revolution to sustain that peace, and that could be achieved if you, our trainers, will provide our people with the necessary skills, not only for rebuilding Marawi, but also to reduce poverty and pursue economic growth in the city and Lanao del Sur,” Mamondiong told the trainers.

In support of Bangon Marawi, the national government’s inter-agency economic rebuilding program for the devastated city in Lanao del Sur, TESDA has initiated the Multiplier Trainers’ Training Program on Agri-based Product Skills to capacitate 200 trainers belonging to indigenous peoples, internally-displaced persons, rebel returnees, and other vulnerable citizens of Marawi City and the province of Lanao del Sur in benchmarking activities for agriculture-related occupations, such as horticulture, crops production, poultry and small ruminants growing, food processing, and tourism-related activities.

The trainers’ skills training tour lasted for four days and saw the 200 participants conducting field visits and hearing lecture-demonstrations at the Ateneo de Davao University’s Shoe Academy in Ma-a (agriculture and footwear and leather goods production); Wangan National Agricultural School, Brgy. Wangan, Calinan District, Davao City; and ACES Polytechnic College, Panabo City (organic agriculture production, animal growing, and horticulture).

For their benchmarking training, the trainers visited the Korea-Philippines Vocational Training Center (food processing, agri-machinery, other industrial trades) and the Lupon School of Fisheries in Lupon, Davao Oriental (agri-crops production, animal growing, food processing, and tourism-related activities).

Sec. Mamondiong challenged and encouraged the trainers to use their new-found capacities to train other trainers and other workers, the internally-displaced persons, rebel returnees, and other vulnerable citizens and help the government eradicate poverty and foster long-lasting peace and economic development in Muslim Mindanao.

Sec. Mamondiong said TESDA will also organize similar program for Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-tawi.