MANILA, Philippines—Following a string of road accidents over the holidays, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has offered to provide technical training and safety reorientation to some 50,000 public utility vehicle drivers nationwide in the next two years.
Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva said on Monday the agency had committed to retrain professional drivers around the country following a request from Transportation Secretary Jose de Jesus.
“We gave our commitment to provide technical assistance for these drivers,” Villanueva said.
“But I think private operators should also take part in this. They should do their share of educating and training their drivers to guarantee that they can safely ferry their passengers and cargo to their destination,” he said.
Villanueva said Tesda was willing to provide scholarships for some 4,000 drivers but called on the private sector to shoulder the training for the rest, citing the agency’s limited funds.
Tesda has a P2.83-billion budget this year, slightly lower than last year’s P2.89 billion. The budget for scholarships was severely slashed, from P5.6 billion to P700 million.
If the agency were to train all 50,000 drivers, Tesda training centers would have to accommodate 68 drivers every day for the next two years, holidays and weekends included.
Talks between Tesda and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) began in November and the discussions were sealed following the almost daily fatal road accidents on major highways throughout the country.
“The initial DOTC probe showed that 85 percent of road accidents were driver-related. So we welcome this move as part of efforts to safeguard the riding public,” Villanueva said in an interview.
Tesda has an existing 140-hour program for basic driving and safety training of drivers of heavy vehicles, buses and trailer trucks. This certification has become a requirement for Filipinos wishing to go overseas to work as drivers.
The DoTC has proposed to make Tesda certification a requirement for bus and truck drivers plying Metro Manila routes, Villanueva said. –Tarra Quismundo, Philippine Daily Inquirer
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
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more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
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October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
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