Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Isidro Lapeña has issued directives for regional and provincial offices and other operating units to extend their assistance to the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption, and provide essentials such as face masks, water, canned food, and other food products that TESDA trainees can produce.

 

“In line with the recent Taal volcano eruption, may I request the officers, men and women of TESDA to once again share our compassionate hearts with others and help our fellow TESDANS and Kababayans in affected areas through donations, in-kind or in cash,” Lapeña said.

 

With its training-cum-production scheme, where the trainees currently undergoing training on dressmaking or food production are tasked to make actual products after lectures and demonstrations, TESDA staff and scholars are now producing face masks and perishable goods in larger quantities to be delivered to respective drop-off stations.

 

Among the initial respondents to the distressed groups is TESDA Central Luzon (Region III) which has sent seven and a half (7.5) sacks of rice and other essential goods to TESDA CALABARZON (Region IV-A), which the latter distributed in Cavite.

Meanwhile, donations from the Central Office received by the IV-A Regional Office (RO) are re-packed and forwarded to TESDA Batangas Provincial Office (PO) and also Cavite PO.

 

TESDA Bicol Region (Region V) also immediately initiated Operation Tabang for the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption, with the help of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholars and professionals, and other TESDA Technology Institutions (TTIs).

 

Currently, TTIs offering Bread and Pastry Production NC II in the region are mass-producing biscuits and cookies for the evacuees while the Local Government Unit (LGU) Juban Training Center are making face masks to be transported to and sorted at the TESDA Central Office in Taguig City.

 

At present, 6,900 face masks from the Sorsogon National Agricultural School and the San Francisco Institute of Science and Technology were transported to the Central Office.

 

As of January 15, 2020, TESDA National Capital Region has prepared clothes donations, boxes of facial masks, hygiene kits, water bottles and canned goods for the Taal evacuees.

 

TESDA Cagayan Valley (Region II), through the Dressmaking NC II scholars of Southern Isabela College of Arts and Trades, and other TTIs offering Dressmaking NC II and Bread and Pastry Production NC II, is also in the process of sewing face masks and preparing perishable goods to be transported to TESDA Region IV-A on Friday, January 17, 2020.

 

Other regions such as MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), Northern Mindanao (Region X), and SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) are also pooling in goods and voluntary cash donations as relief efforts. 

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Public Information Division (PID)