11 November 2020
BULAKAN, BULACAN - 58 residents around the construction site of the New Manila International Airport here are set to work and earn for their families 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).

Their graduation ceremony was held today at the Regional Training Center Central Luzon (RTCCL) in Guiguinto town.

12 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.

The P735 billion airport complex project in Bulacan is in line with the Build, Build, Build Program of the Duterte Administration with the primary goal of decongesting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Because hundreds of residents are about to be relocated, TESDA and 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 can find other means of livelihood or employment. 

One of the graduates, Geraline Cunanan, thanked TESDA and SMC for the training and the toolkits, respectively.

“Ang araw na ito ay hindi lamang tanda ng ating tagumpay. Hudyat din po ito ng pagdiriwang at pasasalamat. Pagdiriwang, sapagkat pasimula rin po ito ng panibagong kabanata sa aming buhay.  Pasasalamat, sapagkat sa patuloy po naming pag-abot sa aming mga pangarap, may San Miguel Corporation at TESDA na handang gumabay sa amin,” Cunanan said. ###