BAGUIO CITY”•Most drug surrenderers in Baguio City refuse to avail of the free skills training provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority because they do not want to be publicly exposed as drug users, the Cordillera office of the agency said.
Engineer David Bungallion, administrator of the Baguio City School of Arts and Trade, said that since the free training for work scholarship was offered, none of the city’s drug surrenderers have approached the institution to apply for the skills training.
Drug surrenderers should undergo Tesda training before being issued the coveted national certification or certificate of competency for selected fields they were able to complete.
BCSAT remains open to interested drug surrenderers from the city’s 128 barangays who can use the skills they acquire to earn a livelihood for their families.
Rafael Abrogar II, Tesda-CAR regional director, said they remain open to former drug users wanting to avail of the free skills training, provided they are given the clean bill of health by the Department of Health following the guidelines for the training.
In Kalinga, Tesda provincial director Gabriel Cayacay said 11 drug surrenderers in the province took the free skills training on automotive maintenance and others skills.
Cayacay added that four family members of policemen and soldiers killed in action completed their skills training on bread and pastry making and heavy equipment operation. which they are now using in their new jobs.
In Apayao, Tesda provincial director Victor Brioso said the drug surrenderers in the province underwent training on carpentry, masonry and basketry.
He claimed some of the drug surrenderers were instrumental in the construction of the office of the chief of police of the Luna Municipal Police Station, while the agency hired the basket makers from Abra to train those interested in basketry making.
Abrogar expressed concern on the reluctance of drug surrenderers to avail of the skills training when their history will be kept confidential, as this is the government’s way of helping them recover from drug addiction.
He appealed to the former drug users to visit the nearest Tesda office in their area to avail of the free training.