Better lives await former out-of-school youth

BATCH 6 graduates together with Ida and his wife, Mikiko

CHARLIE Belano got to where he is now by hard work and maintaining a readiness to pounce when opportunity comes knocking.

“If an opportunity comes along, you grab it. You don’t question. You just grab it since it may never come again,” said the 22-year-old former out-of school youth from Barangay Basud, Calbayog City, in the province of Samar.

In fact, he was sticking to this mantra when the biggest opportunity of his life came unexpectedly two years ago—a chance to take a 2-year course at the Isuzu-Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Auto Mechanic Training Center in Tacloban City, Leyte. This training center is funded by Japan’s Isuzu Motors Ltd. (IML) and run by the Tesda. This year the auto mechanic training center has a new partner in WorldVision (a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization). It  takes over the duties of Plan Philippines International in selecting poor but deserving out-of-school youth candidates.

Fortunate to be part

“I guess, at that time, I was just fortunate that there were representatives of Plan Philippines International working in my barangay. When they came looking for deserving out-of-school youth candidates I was among the 17 beneficiaries who passed the evaluation,” recalled Belano who graduated valedictorian last week.

Also recognized during the graduation ceremony were fellow topnotchers 22-year-old Michael Dalangin (salutatorian) and 20-year-old Gerald Surio (honorable mention).

IDA flew in from Japan to personally witness the graduation of batch 6.

“Batch 6, where Belano, Dalangin and Surio belong, is composed of 17 automotive service technicians who are all national certification 4 (NC 4) passers and NC 2 qualified drivers of Tesda.

Automotive Servicing NC 4 is the highest level that is offered in the country. Only the Isuzu-Tesda Auto Mechanic Training Center in Tacloban, Leyte, currently offers this qualification that is industry-recognized both here and abroad.

Scholars to join Isuzu

The 17 scholars of Batch 6 join the 118 graduates of the training center who are now working within the Isuzu network (Isuzu Philippines Corp., Isuzu Autoparts Manufacturing Corp., and Isuzu dealerships nationwide). A number of graduates are with other automotive service shops and transport companies.

PROUD PARENT Crisostomo Belano still can’t believe that his son Charlie finished his studies and even topped his batch.

“I should clarify that our graduates are free to go to other companies other than Isuzu. In fact, we hold a regular skills demonstration event here wherein we invite representatives of other companies who may be interested with our incoming graduates,” informed Ernest Heherson Manzano, the training center’s project manager and trainer.

“Being NC IV qualified makes our graduates very attractive to any automotive manufacturing firms both here and abroad. Demand for their skills would soon rise and we are glad this training center is producing the best candidates,” said IML senior counselor and former chair Yoshinori Ida.

He was personally present in witnessing the ceremony, along with IPC president Nobuo Izumina and IAMC president Yasuhiro Kimura.

With around 60 million vehicles entering the world market each year—that’s 165,000 new cars produced every day—Ida said the total number of vehicles in the world could reach 1,000 million within 12 to 15 years.

“In Southeast Asia alone, it is expected that vehicle production will increase to 6 million units a year by 2019 from today’s around 3.5 million vehicle production. Thus, our graduates become even more desirable as their skills will be much needed to cope up with this increasing vehicle production capacity,” said Ida.

No longer jobless

BELANO (center) is flanked by fellow batch 6 topnotchers Dalangin (left) and Surio.

Had Belano missed the opportunity he would still be jobless just like the rest of his eight siblings (interestingly, Belano is the youngest).

“My mother is already dead and my father, who is a fisherman, could barely feed us. After this ceremony, I will be assigned to Isuzu Isabela to begin my on-the-job training and hopefully in a few months I would be able to send some money home,” shared Belano.

He related that his town is regarded as one of the poorest in the country. “Except for fishing, we have no other source of income. Interestingly, my batch mates and I have similar stories of hardship and hope,” Belano related.

Dalangin, who hails from Libagon, Southern Leyte, is the eldest of six siblings. His family, like the rest of his town folks, depend on fishing. Surio, who lost his father at a young age, is the youngest of three siblings. Living in San Roque, Northern Samar, his mother struggles to make ends meet by planting rice or corn, or by selling copra.

AFTER graduation, scholars like (from left) Belano, Surio, Dalangin and the rest of the batch will be going to the different companies under the Isuzu network around the Philippines. Photos by Charles E. Buban

“This is our chance to help our respective families change our lives for the better,” said Surio.

P300,000 for students

With training modules provided by Tesda, IML spends about P300,000 for each student, taking care of their board and lodging as well as supplying them with toiletries, textbooks and uniforms (all scholars are required to live in a dormitory inside the Tesda campus for two years).

“IML spent P130 million in building the training center which is composed of a two-story 1,656-square-meter workshop, a 160-bed capacity dormitory for boys and girls, a cafeteria, and a multi-purpose covered court,” Tesda Region VIII acting regional director Cleta Omega said.

IML also donated over P39-million worth of vehicles and other training equipment.

“With the facilities and the type of training we provide here, we are confident that those who will graduate from this training center will not only be highly employable and very skilled auto mechanics but also responsible and morally upright individuals,” assured Omega.