Empowering village folks through skills training

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

VINTAR, Ilocos Norte—In this time and age when everything can be done in an instant, continuous learning and upgrading of skills is a must.

Like the 50 enrollees of a short-term beauty care skills training program in this town where Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Juan Conrado C. Respicio II organized the training in the clustered rural barangays of Ester, Mabanbanag and Namurok.

The program is called people empowerment and is meant to help village folks acquire more specialized skills so they can use it as an alternative source of livelihood.

Sponsored by the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), the skills training beneficiaries graduated on May 21 with Mr. Respicio as guest of honor and speaker.

“I’m happy that we have 50 beneficiaries who took advantage of the program.  They are now ready to perform manicure, pedicure and massage after the 10-day training,” said Mr. Respicio.

Should they not be able to work it out for the establishment of their own salon, Mr. Respicio said their newly- acquired skills can also be applied to their own families.

The continuing free skills training provided by TESDA particularly to the marginalized sector and those living in far flung villages is seen to enhance their skills competencies and provide better job opportunities for interested individuals or groups.