MATI, Davao Oriental, August 5, 2011?A priest of Don Bosco has asked government leaders to standardize the budget allocation for government technical school and other private vocational institutions in Mindanao to further the educational opportunities of the poor sectors of society.
Fr. Leonides “Onie” Baclay, director of the Don Bosco Training Center (DBTC) in Mati City, recommended to lawmakers and President Benigno Aquino to “regularize the budget allocation for TESDA and voctech institutions for the poor and the less-privileged” during a recent development summit held in General Santos City.
According to the priest youth workers should be paid just compensation for their work as a matter of instilling honesty.
Baclay stressed a link between peace and the giving of a reasonable wage to able youth workers as a justly paid worker will refrain from stealing or committing crimes.
He underscored the importance of value formation for the youth to mold them into becoming law-abiding and trustworthy citizens.
“We are continuing the vision of our founder, St. John Bosco by focusing on the best quality possible of techvoc education and training, including the modern internet hand in hand with human-christian values in order to form youth that are God-fearing and honest citizens,” he said.
Because of the high quality training and formation they received from school, Don Bosco graduates are preferred by business companies and institutions.
Baclay represented the Davao Oriental Private Technical Institutions Association (DOPTIA) and Davao Oriental during the 19th Human Resource Skills Development Summit jointly organized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Mindanao Technical Vocational Education and Training (MinTVET) Association at the KCC Mall in Catolico Ave., General Santos City last July 20-22.
Mr. Ariel Hernandez, executive director of the Katilingbanong Pamahandi sa Mindanao Foundation, also spoke during the summit about the Role of Technical Vocational Institutions in Building Peace in Mindanao and discussed specific concerns such as employment guide for college and voctech students, availability of jobs, and skills mismatch.
Themed “Technopreneurship: New Approaches, New Technologies, Creating Jobs, Improving Lives”, the three-day meeting sought to introduce reforms to make TVET more relevant, more efficient and more accessible to the youth.
A total of 470 participants from Mindanao region attended the summit.
SOCCKSARGEN had the largest delegation with 151. Davao Oriental had 75 participants, Zamboanga peninsula, 75; Northern Mindanao had 70; Caraga 59; and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), 39. (CBCPNews)
