ORANI, Bataan – Former Bataan lawmaker, Felicito C. Payumo spent the morning of Valentine’s Day, February 14, with drug reformists of this first-class town.
Payumo told the local press here a total of 64 drug reformists received their certificates of training on courses accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) during their graduation at the Bahay Pagbabago here.
Payumo, president of the Bataan Peninsula Educational Institution Inc., a corporation that owns and operates the University of Nueva Caceres (UNC Bataan Campus), congratulated the graduates.
UNC Bataan, located in Brgy. Rizal in Dinalupihan, Bataan, is a branch of the 70-year-old UNC Main Campus in Naga City which is now owned and controlled by the Ayala Group.
“Magagamit ninyo ang napag-aralan ninyo kung mamamasukan kayo na hindi lang labor ang category kundi bilang skilled laborer. Kung gustong magtayo ng maliit na negosyo, pwede rin,” said the former chairman and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Payumo was also the former chairman of the Bases Conversion Development Authority.
He added that TESDA courses like those given to reformists from Orani were provided by UNC-Bataan. Payumo said that the school brings mobile training – instructors, machines and materials –to places where reformists are.
“Kung anong courses ang gusto ng mga estudyante which we call the reformists para sa kanilang pagbabagong buhay, ‘yon ang ino-offer namin,” he reiterated.
UNC TESDA school coordinator, Grace Vibar said 48 reformists graduated from Shielded Metal Arc Welding NCI and the other 16 from Computer Systems Servicing or a total of 64.
The training started December 28, 2017 and ended February 9, 2018.
Vibar said their school has started offering TESDA courses since 2015 with the completion of five batches in welding, two batches in food and beverage services and computer servicing.
Chief Inspector Leovaldo Bacon, Orani police chief, said the reformists were former drug dependents in the town who voluntary surrendered in their Oplan Tokhang operations.
Recently, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has approved the college courses being offered by UNC-Bataan such as Bachelor of Science in Accounting Information Systems, Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness, Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship.
Payumo said that aside from these college courses, they also offer TESDA courses such as: Shielded Metal Arc Welding (NCI and NCII); Food and Beverage Services NCII; Housekeeping NCII; Front Office NCII; Agricultural Crops Production NCII; and Computer System Servicing NCII.
Other newly approved TESDA courses are Front Office Services NCII, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NCII, Electronics Power Assembly and Servicing (NCII).
UNC Bataan also has program offerings for pre-elementary, elementary, junior high school and senior high school students such as STEM, ABM, HUMSS, GAS and TVL.