More skilled workers are expected to enhance their competencies in this part of the province after the launch of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) Provincial Training Center (PTC) in Barangay Crispina here.

Valued at PHP38 million from the legislative fund of Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Eugenio Angelo Marcos Barba, the two-story building along the national highway was formally opened on Tuesday, with at least four batches receiving initial training allocations.

During his speech at the blessing and inauguration of the PTC, Barba told local government officials and the training center’s administration to make full use of the TESDA center to benefit more residents.

Barba conveyed hope that accessible, relevant training in technical and vocational courses would address the skills gap in the workforce.

“The measure of this center is not the building itself. It is the number of lives improved,” he said, adding that the training programs offered must lead to gainful employment.

“Every classroom must produce skilled workers, every training program must lead to real jobs, and every graduate must walk out here with competence and confidence.”

Meanwhile, both Banna Municipal Mayor Mary Chrislyn Abadilla and Vice Mayor Carly Abadilla thanked the government and Barba for choosing their municipality as the site of the training hub.

“Thank you for inspiring us to do more. This is the best gift ever to Banna,” the mayor said.

The vice mayor said that the PTC could function as a training tourism center, attracting more visitors to Banna, the second-to-last town in the eastern part of the province.

The Banna government donated the land for the training center.

Reynaldo Duldulao, chief of Crispina village, the host barangay, called on his constituents to take advantage of the accessible training center to acquire more skills to improve their living conditions.

“Now that we have the center, many of our constituents are excited to enroll in the programs offered,” Duldulao told the Philippine News Agency in an interview. (PNA)