COA: P2.4B went to Tesda but jobs few

ILOILO CITY—A government job training agency received at least P2.4 billion from 2006-2008, but achieved very little in generating employment, the Commission on Audit (COA) said in a report.

COA advised the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) to review its programs because they produced few graduates, and fewer jobs.

One of the programs was named after President Macapagal Arroyo—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Training for Work Scholarship, which was renamed Pangulong Gloria Scholarships (PGS).

PGS listed these sectors as job markets—agribusiness, information and communication technology, medical tourism, hotel and restaurants, health services, mining and aviation.

The COA Annual Audit Report for 2008, however, said three years after the program was launched, the program received a 60.67-percent increase in funding.

At least 85.67 percent of trainees graduated, but only 29.79 percent actually found jobs, the report said.

The Department of Labor and Employment Audit Group certified the Sept. 23 COA report.

Augusto Syjuco, Tesda director general who is running for congressman to retake his wife’s seat in Congress, disputed the COA report.

“I think we have done very well,” said Syjuco, who hung on as Tesda head following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed appointed government officials to stay in their posts after filing their certificates of candidacies.

Syjuco said out of every 100 trainees, 49 percent find jobs in six months, “the rest probably within a year.”

“I think that’s the best (record) in the country, better than what CHEd, or other educational institutions produce,” he said.

He also criticized COA, saying the audit agency should stick to financial matters “rather than getting involved in marketing and management.”

The COA report said Tesda spent P500 million supposedly to generate 100,000 jobs per year.

Tesda budget from 2006-2008, the report said, was P910 million higher than what the agency normally received in annual appropriation.

Syjuco said the funds were well spent. –David Israel Sinay, Inquirer Visayas