CALAPAN City- As part of Sustainable Livelihood Program’s (SLP) aim to increase employment-facilitation regionwide, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) MiMaRoPa conducted a consultation meeting with two technical vocational schools based in this city, the Wellcare Institute of Science and Technology (WIST) and Southwestern Luzon Maritime Institute.

Both schools are accredited by the TESDA or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, a government agency which ensures mandatory registration  and compliance of Technical Vocational Education and Training  programs.

The meeting was participated by DSWD and school officials held last March 22, 2016 in El Pueblo Resort in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

As a result, the WIST management agreed to offer slots in their scholarship program for 200 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries in Oriental Mindoro.

The said scholars will be provided training on Electronic Products Assembly National Certificate II. Beneficiaries to complete the course will be linked to various production companies in CALABARZON managed by the said schools.

Aside from the scholarship, the institution held voiced their willingness to conduct community based trainings for those who cannot afford to undergo school-based training due to constraints on their location and finances.

The Southwestern Luzon Maritime Institute Foundation (SLMIF) is an ISO certified school that offers maritime specialized courses for inter-island and overseas job placements.

The partnership is set to be finalized this quarter with the hope of providing employment opportunities for Pantawid beneficiaries in Oriental Mindoro.

SLP is a community-based capacity-building program that seeks to improve the socio-economic status of its participants, is implemented using the Community-Driven Enterprise Development approach which enables participants to contribute to production and labor markets by looking at available resources and accessible markets.###