DAR, Tesda ink deal for training program

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has struck a deal with the Technical Educational Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to provide dependents of farmers and fisherfolk entrepreneurial courses to give them additional income streams.

This developed as the agricultural sector remained the economy’s weakest link, given its poor performance in the first semester. Its output shrank by 0.24 percent while its value fell by 4.14 percent.

The DAR and Tesda inked an agreement that would provide farmer-beneficiaries and their dependents training on entrepreneurial courses such as baking, dressmaking, coffee-making and automotive, among other technical and vocational courses.

Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said Tesda director general Isidro Lapeña had agreed to offer scholarship grants to 3,150 individuals. So far, 1,600 scholars have been endorsed to Tesda for enrollment.

“[This partnership] is very significant in uplifting the standards of living of the farmer-beneficiaries,” Castriciones said. “Providing them skill-enhancement training is a big step toward alleviating rural poverty and ensuring food security in the country.”

Based on government data, 70 percent of the country’s poorest of the poor were in rural areas, most of them were farmers and fishermen.

Lapeña said “this is a big challenge that we need to address.”