Solon wants TESDA proposed 2016 budget of P6.5B raised to P10B

A lawmaker today pushed for a bigger budget of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for 2016, by raising the proposed budget of P6.5 billion to P10 billion or about three percent of the P3.3 trillion national budget to fund more scholarships and skills training programs for the youth.

Rep. Emil L. Ong (2nd District, Northern Samar) raised the proposal during the hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Rep. Isidro T. Ungab on the TESDA budget for next year.

“I think three percent or P10 billion is not very difficult to give to TESDA. I will move in plenary to raise the TESDA budget to P10 billion. The Constitution mandates that the education sector, of which TESDA is part of, should be given the highest budgetary allocation,” said Ong.

Ong said he was then a Constitutional Convention (Concon) delegate in 1971 when this provision was previously embodied and had been carried over up to now in the 1987 Constitution.

“We really emphasized that, and even Dr. Jose Rizal gave technical vocational education more importance than the white collar job. We should really emphasize tech-voc education,” said Ong, a vice chairman of the appropriations committee.

Ong said during the hearing presided by Rep. Thelma Z. Almario (2nd District, Davao Oriental) that the P6.5 billion budget proposal represents only two percent of the national budget, which is not enough to include more youth in the TESDA programs.

The lawmaker said the TESDA scholarship program is truly laudable as it afforded out-of-school youth access to free education and skills training. “I would like to commend TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva and the provincial officers. Your scholarship program is laudable, the only problem is that it is limited by your budget,” said Ong.

He cited for instance that for the entire province of Northern Samar, which has two districts, the TESDA budget for scholarships is only P2 million, covering 300 scholars.

“Pinaghahatian pa namin yung 300 scholarships. Maybe TESDA can provide 300 scholarship slots per district,” said Ong.

He said as proof of the success of TESDA programs, TESDA graduates are the top priority for employment in factories and other industrial firms.

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Rep. Gwendolyn F. Garcia (3rd District, Cebu) said the TESDA has been very consistent in coordinating with district representatives in the execution of programs especially in Region 7 under the leadership of Regional Director Rosanna Urdaneta and Provincial Director Mark Ilanan.

“You enabled the poor youth avail of your programs by bringing these programs to the barangay instead of asking them to go to the training centers,” said Garcia.

Of the proposed P6.5 billion TESDA budget for 2016, P1.5 billion has been allotted to personnel services, P4.66 billion to maintenance and other operating expenses, and P299.87 million to capital outlay. (30) rbb