BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved a resolution requesting the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to conduct short-term skills training programs on technical-vocational (tech-voc) courses for displaced workers following the business shutdown due to the enforcement of the community quarantine to contain the spread of the dreaded Corona virus Disease (COVID) 2019.
The council, in the resolution, stated that the provision of such short-term skills trainings will allow the displaced workers for possible employment or livelihood activities they could avail from the city government or other concerned government agencies.
City legislators said that among possible tech-voc trainings for the displaced workers include housekeeping, manicure-pedicure, massage and other beauty and health care services, that they could maximize as their temporary source of income while looking for sustainable jobs.
TESDA is the government agency mandated to provide quality tech-voc courses and skills development through its trainings programs developed and conducted to equip the Filipinos with competencies appropriate to the needs of the trainees and the requirements of the market.
Further, the agency conducts face-to-face and online trainings and other programs and services based on clients needs.
The council points out the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that was downgraded to general community quarantine (GCQ) in Luzon, including Baguio city, caused the closure of non-essential business establishments to restrict the movement of the people as a precautionary measures to contain the spread of the contagious virus.
According to the city legislative body, numerous workers were displaced and could not seek other jobs nor engage in other income-generating activities because of the lack of appropriate skills and competencies that can bring the much-needed income for them to survive the effects of these trying times.
The council asserts the present situation is a most opportune time for displaced workers wanting to acquire the skills and competencies they can use to earn a living for their daily sustenance while looking for jobs in businesses allowed to resume operations during the GCQ.
The council claims it is high time for individuals to continue acquiring, developing and honing their skills and competencies during the present crisis to for them to acquire multiple skills that can help them earn income.
The council adds the provision of skills trainings will be part of the city government’s transition plan to allow a huge part of the population that have been heavily impacted by the closure of the non-essential businesses that had been instrumental in spurring the city economy through the years.
By Dexter A. See
