Press Release
April 2, 2009

LOREN PROPOSES SUMMER SEMINARS, TRAINING
PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS

Senator Loren Legarda yesterday urged local government units (LGUs) and national government agencies to coordinate efforts in conducting free livelihood and skills development seminars for vacationing high school and college students during the summer season.

"This will make the summer vacation for the students more productive and enjoyable, while developing entrepreneurship skills among them, and laying the ground for the spread of employment opportunities," said Loren.

Aside from addressing the local governments, Loren also issued her call to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Trade and Industry, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Technology and Livelihood Resources Center (TLRC) and other concerned government agencies.

"These trainings and seminars should aim to sharpen the skills the students already know to develop them as skilled workers or entrepreneurs, and eventually earn a living which could help them finance their education and boost their family income," Loren said.

Loren, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said that TESDA could use the TESDA Skills Development Fund provided under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) as budget source for this program.

"The students whose parents lose their jobs, either here or abroad because of the global economic slowdown, and as a result may encounter financial problem in pursuing their education, should also be given priority to participate in this training program", Loren said. The lady senator, who also chairs the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (AFMA), said that non-farm training should include vehicle repair and maintenance, computer and electronics, furniture making and carpentry, handicrafts and embroidery, and other tech-vocational skills identified by barangays as needed in the community. Tech-vocational training is needed because of the dwindling number of skilled workers in rural communities as a result of overseas recruitment.

Processing of farm and fishery products as well as profitable marketing of crops are the among best topics in the livelihood seminar, she added.

These skills development and livelihood seminars should be conducted in the barangay or municipal levels, Loren said.

Loren was alarmed by a report issued by the International Labor Organization (ILO) a UN agency, that worldwide job losses from the global recession that started in the United States in December 2007 could hit a staggering 50 million by the end of 2009.

Thousands of Filipino Overseas Workers who are financing the secondary and college education of their children may be along those who would lose their jobs due to the recession.

In the Philippines, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that 109,529 locally employed workers have already lost their jobs, the majority of whom were in the electronics and garment industries.

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