GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 26 Jan) – The Police Regional Office in Soccsksargen (PRO-12) has assigned at least 50 police officers to serve as trainers of the government’s community-based skills training programs.
Brig. Gen. Michael John Dubria, PRO-12 director, said Tuesday these comprise the first batch of police personnel in the area who recently received national certificates (NC) after undergoing technical-vocational (tech-voc) skills trainings from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
He said the policemen specifically graduated from Carpentry NC II and Electrical Installation and Management NC II programs.
“They will be deployed as community trainers in coordination with TESDA,” Dubria said in a statement.
The police official said they forged a partnership with TESDA-Region 12 last year for the establishment of a pool of tech-voc skills trainers from their ranks.
TESDA initially offered free skills trainings on carpentry as well as electrical installation and management, which lasted at least a month, for the first batch of trainees.
The beneficiaries were enlisted in the agency’s scholarship programs and received allowances during the duration of the program.
Dubria said they launched the initiative to further expand their engagement with communities in the region.
“This is the new [Philippine National Police]. We’re not here only to enforce laws and secure our communities but help empower our people as well through the skills trainings,” he said.
Rafael Abrogar II, TESDA-Region 12 director, said they are finalizing the rollout of additional training programs in the coming months for other police personnel in the region.
He said the graduates will be tapped to take part in the free trainings for residents in far-flung communities, especially those previously influenced by the New People’s Army.
TESDA, in coordination with local government units and concerned agencies, has been reaching out to remote communities in the region to help bring services and livelihood opportunities to poor and marginalized residents.
The initiative is part of the implementation of the government’s “whole-of-nation” approach to “end local communist armed conflict” in the area. (MindaNews)
