The Ilocos Norte provincial government is calling on its unemployed residents to become productive by participating in a free skills training program.

In a public advisory on Tuesday, the Provincial Employment Service Office (PESO) announced that it will hold a series of training to help residents become more competitive in the domestic and international markets.

These trainings include malunggay and squash processing, mushroom processing, dishwashing soap, and liquid hand washing production, hand bath soap and household care production, furniture making and shielded metal arc and welding, catsup processing and jam making, tahong (mussel) chips making, and commercial processing for bread and pandesal and scented candle making.

Anne Marie Lizette Bitancor-Atuan, PESO manager said interested applicants may register and visit the PESO located at the West Wing of the provincial Capitol building. A valid identification card and a certificate of unemployment from the Barangay are needed to qualify in the training program.

“Registration is now ongoing and the training schedules will be announced soon,” she said.

Based on the latest survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, some 4.5 million Filipinos were unemployed last year which translated to an average unemployment rate of 10.3 percent.

“This translates to three in every five of the population 15 years and over who were either employed or unemployed. This annual labor force participation rate is lowest since the adoption of the new definition of unemployed in April 2005, reflecting the effect of the various community quarantine restrictions, business closures, and physical distancing measures that were put in place in the Philippines starting March 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” the PSA said. (PNA)