The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will train members of families from two municipalities of Antique most affected by Typhoon Odette last year under its Special Training for Employment Program (STEP).

Karyn Mae Duay, TESDA Antique provincial training center head, said in an interview Thursday that starting April 18, they are set to conduct carpentry training for 25 individuals whose houses in the municipality of Anini-y were damaged by the typhoon.

Another set of 25 individuals from the town of Tobias Fornier will also undertake Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) but they are still waiting for the slot to be filled up.

“The training is intended to provide skills to those whose houses had been damaged by the typhoon so that they would be able to repair it,” Duay said.

She added that the carpentry training will be for 41 days.

The trainees will be provided with a toolkit such as a hammer and saw worth PHP9,000 each so that they would have something to use to repair their houses.

Each of the trainees of the SMAW that will run for 37 days will also be given a welding machine as their toolkit worth PHP12,000.

They will also receive an allowance of PHP150 per day, and an additional PHP1,000 for internet and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

They will also be given entrepreneurship training so that they could also use their skills to find their livelihood.

Duay said this April, they are set to turn over a one-bedroom house constructed for a solo parent whose house was damaged by “Odette”.

“The construction of the house had been completed last February and we are just waiting for the schedule of the turnover by our TESDA regional director,” she said.

The house was constructed through the initiative of TESDA Director General Isidro Lapeña under the “TESDAmayan” to help the affected solo parent and her family. (PNA)