Solid North partylist Rep. Ching Bernos on Monday urged the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to fine-tune their process to ensure that more poor and disadvantaged Filipinos benefit from its programs.

The lawmaker made the call as a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found that the number of poor beneficiaries participating in TESDA training had declined between 2018 and 2022.

In its “Assessing the Effectiveness of TESDA Scholarship Programs in Targeting the Poor” study, PIDS also noted that the 2022 regional distribution of scholarship budgets does not necessarily align with regions with high poverty incidence, where most disadvantaged scholars are located.

In a statement, Bernos highlighted the need to properly identify target beneficiaries of TESDA’s various technical and vocational education and training programs.

“Many see TESDA training as a much-needed leg up for employment, which is exactly why we should exert more effort to ensure that those who could benefit most from such interventions are the ones who receive training,” she said.

“These are trainings that could give out-of-school youth, informal workers, and the unemployed the chance to find jobs amid increasing competition.”

Bernos echoed the PIDS’ recommendation that TESDA use poverty databases maintained by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (Listahanan) and the Philippine Identification System to verify applicants’ eligibility and willingness to see the training through.

As these lists have already been vetted, TESDA could use these to counter-check against their own system to ensure proper targeting of beneficiaries, she said.

The lady solon also called on TESDA to regularly coordinate with industries and local governments to guarantee that its course offerings match labor market needs.

“Lalo na sa panahon ngayon na marami at mabilis ang mga pagbabago dahil sa teknolohiya, mahalagang laging updated ang ating mga course offering para hindi mapag-iwanan ang maging relevant pa rin ang matututunan ng mga trainees (Especially now that changes are many and coming fast due to technology, it is important that course offerings are updated so that the things being taught to trainees are relevant),” she said. (PNA)