The Taguig City government announced on Tuesday that it is initiating various programs for the people in preparation for the so-called “new normal” after the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
The program, dubbed Taguig Online Resources and Community Hub (TORCH), introduces training for teachers, open campus for professionals, online resource hub for seniors, resource page for businesses to help and prepare them transition post-ECQ and government information portals.
Under the TORCH program are: 1) Cyberlab@Home, 2) TECTOC (Training and Enrichment Courses from Taguig Online Campus), 3) Online Senior Citizen Center and Resources, 4) Taguig Online Portal, and 5) Open for Business Taguig.
At present, 4,500 public school teachers and 1,000 private school teachers are under trainings to conduct classes through Web meetings and self-paced learning tools. With Cyberlab@Home, teachers may conduct at least one class a week on the Web. The study-from-home arrangements would then help decongest schools.
Cyberlab@Home is the first component of TORCH to roll out. Since April 20, public and private school teachers have been taking the month-long course from their homes via desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
Through TECTOC, Taguig is offering learning opportunities for a wider range of citizens.
During the pandemic and beyond, the city envisions entrepreneurs, business aspirants and workers with an appetite for new capabilities to enroll.
For this project, Taguig is partnering with Skillsoft, a global leader in quality, innovative, cloud-based learning. Skillsoft is one of the largest providers of online training in the world. Its vast clientele includes MIT and Microsoft. Their employees may take various courses from accounting to Photoshop.
TECTOC students may acquire 250-plus certificate courses.
OSCAR, the third component, aims to be the virtual version of Taguig’s famous Center for The Elderly, a project for senior citizens. It will feature elderly-friendly services and programs that promote the wellbeing of citizens of an advanced age.
Thus far, OSCAR includes one month of free load and subscription to movie portals benefiting all 68,000 senior citizens residing in the city. It also includes Telemedecine, a mechanism for people to seek medical attention via phone or Web. Very soon, the services will also include online lifestyle guides.
Taguig Online Portal includes efforts of the city government to provide information and services to citizens in ways that reduce physical contact.
So far, the offerings include online self-assessment testing, web-based channel TaguigTV and I Love Taguig Facebook page, website Taguig Information Portal and Telemedicine.
Meanwhile, the Open for Business Taguig will benefit business owners as it will help them transition from the ECQ to post ECQ.
Specifically, it will release webinars teaching them how to do business in the time of the new normal.