The House committee on higher and technical education has approved a proposed bill of former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez directing the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to roll out targeted training and livelihood programs for rehabilitated drug dependents, pushing forward a reintegration track that links skills, jobs and dignity.
Authored by Romualdez and Tingog party-list, led by Rep. Jude Acidre, House Bill No. 4699 institutionalizes a TESDA-led pathway that equips recovering individuals with employable competencies while giving employers clear incentives to hire them.
“We are encouraging hope in this bill of former Speaker Romualdez and make recovery real for families. When TESDA training is matched with actual job opportunities and incentives for companies, people who did the hard work of rehabilitation can finally move forward with more hope for a better future,” Acidre said.
“I laud my colleagues from the committee for moving swiftly on this measure. This will help open doors for a segment of our society that suffers from the social stigma that keeps them from seeking help, and it tackles the practical hurdle of finding dignified work after rehabilitation,” he said.
The committee approval sets the bill up for plenary consideration, where proponents expect bipartisan support given its focus on second-chance employment, industry partnerships and measurable results like job placement rates and enterprise start-ups among graduates.
Under the proposal, TESDA, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment, shall design and implement technical-vocational education and training and livelihood programs specifically tailored to rehabilitated drug dependents with a focus on competitive, market-ready skills that can lead to wage employment or small enterprise.
The measure would task DoLE to provide incentives to companies that employ graduates of these TESDA programs, creating a concrete bridge between skills training and hiring decisions in the private sector.
To ensure continuity and scale, the bill requires TESDA to integrate program funding into the General Appropriations Act so that training slots, tools and partner scholarships are not left to ad hoc arrangements but become a regular line of service.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “TESDA training bill for reformed drug dependents advances”
