The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) have forged a partnership to empower the indigenous peoples (IPs) through skills training.

TESDA Director General, Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong said that the training program for IPs is geared toward transforming them into competitive and productive individuals, especially in their respective ancestral domain.

On February 28, Mamondiong and NCIP Chairperson Leonor Oralde-Quintayo signed the memorandum of agreement that will help the IPs for self or wage employment to uplift their economic status.

The project aims to provide National Certificate (NC) and Certificate of Competency (COC) to successful IP-graduates after they have completed their skills training.

Then TESDA will facilitate the job referrals, according to the agreement.

Mamondiong has ordered all provincial and regional directors to coordinate with the IPs in their respective areas to facilitate the conduct of competency assessment in the identified facility to qualified beneficiaries.

The NCIP thanked Mamondiong for giving priority to IPs so that they will develop their ancestral domain into a highly productive community.

Aside from Mamondiong and Oralde-Quintayo, other officials who attended the MOA signing were TESDA Deputy Directors General Rebecca Calzado and Alvin Feliciano, along with other officials of both agencies.