Pacquiao’s visit in Tacloban inspires typhoon
victims
By Venus L. Garcia
TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 2 (PIA) – The visit of
Filipino boxing champ and Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao in
this city has inspired numerous victims of typhoon Yolanda which struck the
city early of November.
Pacquiao took the time to join the regular flag
raising ceremony at the City Hall grounds on Monday morning where a crowd of
people felt hopeful upon hearing his positive words.
“I came here not just to give help, but to make
everybody feel that amidst the unfavorable situation I am more willing to share
whatever I gained in life,” bared Pacquiao.
He recalled that he was even emotional and had
shed tears as he witnessed the overwhelming damage caused by the calamity.
He donated some P2.5 million to the local
government of Tacloban City for the rehabilitation and relief operation.
“We were there when the champ falls short of his
fight. Now, he is here to support us in return especially at this time of
devastation and despair,” City Mayor Alfred Romuldez said.
The champ also emphasized that “God can restore
our lives and we can bring everything back to normal if we continue to fight
our trials with perfect trust in Him.” (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
UNESCO advisor lauds PIA Team Mindanao’s
initiatives for typhoon victims
TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 2 (PIA) - A UNESCO official
has lauded the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Team Mindanao for
spearheading a film showing and free charging activity to the different
evacuation centers in Leyte.
UNESCO Advisor for Communication and Information
Andrea Cairola congratulated the entire team for coming-up with such a unique
activity. “We have been conducting this kind of activity but I have never seen
as unique as this. Utilizing the generator set to the fullest. As simple as
having a gen set, laptop, and LCD can make a difference. Congratulations to the
team,” said Cairola.
It can be recalled that for the past few days,
Team Mindanao led by Caraga regional director Abner Caga has been conducting a
film showing and free charging service (cellphones, rechargeable flashlights
and lamps and power storage device) at the RTR Plaza, Tacloban City Astrodome
and Philippine Science High School in Palo, Leyte.
The team has also oriented the people on how to
utilize their cellphones as portable radio, which is important to get
information and updates.
“We also made them fill up a public assistance-form,
which will in turn be our basis to include them in the Google’s people-finder
feature and our textblast operation,” said Caga.
The team has also inserted government
intervention video clips before the start of the show.
Caga said what they really wanted is to create
an atmosphere that will lessen the impact of trauma and provide temporary
relief to Yolanda victims.
“Any medium that would aid in our information
intervention efforts were utilized to create a useful and meaningful effect in
the lives of the people that we are serving,” said Caga. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)
TESDA top official graces Caraga Regl Skills
Competition 2013
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PIA) – Top official of the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) has graced the
Closing Ceremonies of the 2013 Regional Skills Competition (RSC) held recently
in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte.
During the press conference held prior to RSC’s
Closing Ceremonies, TESDA Deputy Director-General for Field Operations Teodoro
C. Pascua underscored the importance of partnering with the private sector. He
said the government’s effort to partner with private organizations has been
noted to be successful in delivering services towards the attainment of quality
technical-vocational education.
DDG Pascua explained through the convergence of
public and private Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) with TESDA supervising
the tech-voc program offerings, skilled individuals in the country has been
observed to be increasing.
The official further said with TESDA
spearheading the skills competition, it promotes the capability and skills not
only of tech-voc students but as well as skilled workers to be effective in
their respective trade areas.
Pascua said in the history of ASEAN skills
competition, skilled Filipinos are at par excellent with the other neighboring
countries as it showed remarkable performance for the past years. He added
sometime in 1995-1996, the Philippines was proclaimed overall champion, besting
competitors from other neighboring Southeast Asian countries in different trade
areas.
Last year in the same competition held in
Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines made a remarkable comeback after the
country did not participate in late 1990s, winning bronze medal in the fashion
design courtesy of Christine Guzman. DDG Pascua added that with Christine
receiving the ASEAN fete, she is now one of the seven most outstanding and
promising young fashion designers of the country.
The second top official of TESDA admitted that
because of the country’s absence in the previous staging of the competition,
the Philippines has been left behind by other Southeast Asian neighboring
countries.
With this development, Pascua said the
government, thru TESDA with the help of the public and private TVIs have been
doing strategies to develop skills of young Filipinos.
“… One of these strategies is the holding of
skills competition showcasing capabilities and skills of tech-voc students and
skilled workers… Through this event, we could be able to scout for talents who
will be developed so that they may represent the country not only in the ASEAN
Skills Competition but as well as in the World Skills Competition,” Pascua
said.
The Regional Skills Competition is a friendly
competition on vocational and technical skills. Competitors are endorsed by the
respective TVET institution in Caraga Region who is currently enrolled or six-months
graduates prior to the competition of Training Centers and/or
Technical-Vocational schools of trade areas such as Restaurant Service,
Electrical Installations Technology, Visual Graphics Design, Welding,
IT/Software Application, Cooking, Plumbing and Heating.
The competition promotes transfer of tech-voc
education and training technologies. It also highlights active participation
and contribution of industry organizations in advocating skills excellence
through competition.
This year’s skills competition is anchored on
the theme: “Ganda ng Buhay, Tekbok ang Tulay” (Good Life through
Technical-VocationalEducation). (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
Filipinos, among the best skilled workers in the
world – TESDA official
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PIA) – Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director-General Atty. Teodoro
C. Pascua recently said Filipinos are among the best skilled workers in the
world.
Speaking before the competitors, coaches and
experts during the recently-concluded 2013 Regional Skills Competition (RSC)
held in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, DDG Pascua pointed out that Filipino
skilled workers are among the sought-after workers in different parts of the
globe.
DDG Pascua added this is proven through the
increasing number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) based on the database of
the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas
Employment Agency (POEA).
According to Pascua, because of the country’s
significant contribution in the world labor force, it is but necessary for
technical-vocational students to be trained as early as now.
“Because of the country’s significant
contribution in the world’s labor force, other countries are expecting to hire
Filipino skilled workers from time to time… That’s why we need to train our
students and skilled workers to prepare them for their future,” DDG Pascua
said.
However, Pascua said what is more important is
the values and character that Filipino workers possessed. He added this is also
one of the reasons why most foreign employers preferred to hire Filipino
workers than other nationalities.
“Filipinos are trustworthy and willing to
sacrifice no matter how difficult life may be… This is proven by our skilled
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)… Also, more foreign employers give values to
their family, a thing they have seen as the reason of Filipino employees
working abroad,” Pascua said.
With these developments, the official enjoined
those in attendance especially the youths to be at their best. “Develop your
skills and do the right thing… Be the best that you can be… and if you have
already qualified in the ASEAN and World standards, you will be given the
opportunity to represent the country,” DDG Pascua said.
Winners in the different trade areas will
undergo thorough training with their coaches to prepare them for the upcoming
Philippine National Skills Competition (PNSC) which will be staged during the
first quarter in 2014.
National winners will then represent the country
in the ASEAN Skills Competition in 2014 and from there, winners will represent
the Southeast Asian region in the World Skills Competition in 2015. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
