The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority VI (TESDA VI) quickly took action to reach out to communities badly affected by typhoon Odette in Western Visayas.
Through its TESDAMayan, TESDA 6 in collaboration with its Technical Vocations Institutions spearheaded medical missions and relief assistance operations in the different affected communities in the southern parts of the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental.
The New Lucena Polytechnic College (NLPC) led by Dr. Layla C. Solinap, Officer-in Charge, distributed food packs, hygiene kits and multivitamins to 50 typhoon victims and sick elderlies in the different barangays in New Lucena town in Iloilo and to 40 fire victims in Oton town who were also hit by the typhoon and a huge fire on December 24 and 25, 2021.
Aside from the distribution of the food packs, the NLPC team also provided medical consultation and assistance to the sick elderlies as well as emotional support to affected families which instilled values of compassion and charity to NLPC personnel.
The team led by TESDA 6 Assistant Regional Director Rick M. Abraham and Provincial Director of Iloilo Provincial Office distributed goods, food packs and cash donations coming from the different TESDA Administered Schools in Iloilo province.
Also, the team led by TESDA 6 Assistant Regional Director Rick M. Abraham and Provincial Director of Iloilo Provincial Office distributed goods, food packs and cash donations coming from the different TESDA Administered Schools in Iloilo province that include Leon Ganzon Polytechnic College (LGPC), New Lucena Polytechnic College (NLPC), and Passi Trade School (PTS) to the typhoon and fire victims in Oton, Iloilo.
The donations were received by Oton Local Government’s representatives composed of Labor and Employment Officer II Marriet Tumapang, MGDH I Emmanuel M. Calvo, , and LRCO I Meedo Shellub Toledo.
On the other hand, PTC Kabankalan, despite being badly hit and damaged by the typhoon itself, established a charging station for the residents of Sitio San Juan, Brgy. Camugao, Kabankalan City.
Moreover, when Christmas was over, a Relief and Disaster Operations Team composed of provincial directors, administrators and trainers was deployed to Kabankalan City. The team led by Abrahaham established the command post at the Kabankalan Training Center which was also badly damaged.
With the aid of 542 Engineering Construction Battalion led by Lt. Col. Roque D. Dupa,the Abraham team made a clearing and rehabilitation program at PTC Kabankalan and Sitio San Juan. They also visited the Kapatiran resettlement at Brgy. Locotan where they distributed relief goods and sacks of rice to 65 Kapatiran members. Some 87 families from Sitio San Juan also received food packs.
The different operating units of TESDA VI made donations to come up with the goods and cash: 50 food packs from Leon Ganzon Polytechnic College, 80 food packs ready for distribution by Passi Trade School and cash donations from Dumalag Vocational Technical School.
Guimaras Provincial Office led by APD Jonathan E. Togonon distributed 60 food packs and hygiene kits to the residents Of Sitio Badiang, Brgy. Calaya, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras.
On December 31, 2021, Negros Occidental Provincial distributed relief goods and used clothes to 70 Indigenous Peoples affected by the brunt of Typhoon Odette at Brgy. Barangay Carol-an, Kabankalan City. The relief goods contain food essentials like rice, coffee, sugar, loaf bread, sandwich spread and chocolates. The activity was conducted in partnership with the Office of USec. Jeorge Largado, Ethnographic Commissioner of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Barangay Council of Carol-an and Philippine Army’s 542nd Engineer Construction Battalion (ECB).
Together with Region VI’s Regional Director Jerry G. Tizon, J.D., an augmentation team from TESDA Region II arrived at Sipalay City, Negros Occidental last December 06, 2021 to provide disaster response and calamity support to badly affected areas in Negros Occidental.
The augmentation team led by Mr. Edwin P. Madarang, School Superintendent of Isabela School of Arts and 6 other trainers from different TESDA Schools (Aparri Polytechnic Institute, Southern Isabela College of Arts and Trades, Lasam Institute of Technology, Cagayan Provincial Training Center, and Regional Training Center) from Region II met with Praem Mendiodia, Executive Assistant of Mayor Maria Gina M. Lizares before they proceeded to inspect the three barangays – Cabadiangan, Mambaroto, and Gil Montilla.
Medical mission and relief operations were also conducted in Negros Occidental benefiting 105 individuals in Sipalay City and another 105 from Kabankalan City. An additional 112 relief goods with used clothes are distributed by the team to residents of Sipalay City.
To date, the Region VI team and the Augmentation Team of RII have built four houses at Baranagay 4, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental and continuously go through their task of helping the residents of the city. (PA6-Iloilo)
