The Bohol provincial government won this year’s national Kabalikat award sponsored by Technical, Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, assisted by Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva, handed a plaque of recognition to Bohol Province administrator Alfonso Damalerio II.
The ceremony was held at the Tesda central office in Manila on Aug. 24 during the agency’s 17th anniversary.
Rosanna Urdaneta, Tesda-7 Regional Director, said Bohol earned the award under the local government unit category for its STARS (Skills Training Advocating Reliance on Self Employment) project wherein 3,000 of its graduates were given priority to be hired during the various job fairs conducted by the Bohol Employment and Placement Office.
Under the same project, the Bohol provincial government established additional training centers in six towns: Bilar, Inabanga, Jagna, Pilar, Tubigon and Balilihan.
This is in partnership with the private sector, which donated a P24 million worth of land for the project.
The STARS project is part of the Bohol Development Framework Agenda that focuses on health and sanitation, education and technology, agriculture and food security and tourism and livelihood.
“This is aimed in reducing poverty and facilitating development in the province,” Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto said.
Secretary Villanueva in his message during the awarding lauded the Bohol provincial government “for recognizing the impact of Technical, Vocational, Education and Training in shaping and upgrading the lives of people thus contributing to the development and progress of the locality.”