The Pangulong Gloria Scholarship Program by Jun Magdaraog

The Best “Best practice” I have thought of is about the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship program because this program aims to reduce the unemployment rate in the middle of our financial crisis by providing free education, skills, training and competency assessment for the Filipino people in varying ages, young, old, out-of-school youth and even graduates. This program ensures that students will develop their skillfulness and capabilities needed for them to be employed in their career choices. This program is actually under the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) with the initiative of Director General Augusto Syjuco to help the economic programs of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on improving our economic growth by molding first the Philippines’ human resources or the skills of the Filipinos. In the near future, with this program we can acquire a 0% unemployment rate and that is not impossible with all Filipinos have their jobs and grossing enough salaries to sustain their lives, we sure can. No more families are worrying about the future of their children that they might not be able to send their children for schooling because of the continuing increase in schools’ tuition fees and a long run support for them throughout their studies.

This scholarship may serve as there gateway to success, especially to those Filipinos who have financial constraints to go for college. They can choose for vocational courses in TESDA and they can assure jobs after they receive their diplomas. Every month TESDA offers thousand of jobs here in our country and also abroad for our citizens, prioritizing the poor ones. Availing this scholarship program can be hard because it is first come-first served basis, but the program ensures that all applicants will be served and able to land a job.

This year, the Malacanang allocated a total budget of P2.6 Billion for the PGS program in cooperation with TESDA for more vocational and technical courses for the scholars. With lots of budget, the program will surely open more jobs and slots for the citizens across the country. I hope that all the scholars will use these chances to finish their courses and aid their families. Even it is just short courses they can still be employed in the end, finishing a short course is like finishing a degree in college. Maybe in few years, we can lessen the number of Filipinos who did not finish college and ended up being unemployed.

The scholarship can be either partial or full, but with lots of benefits it is all paid off with free training program to produce the best quality workers. Some benefits other than free training, are of course the supplies and materials required for training are all provided by TESDA and this will not cause any burden to the scholars because they will not compensate for the fees about supplies. Another is TESDA will seek open jobs for them with this jobs will be on reserved for them after they have finished their trainings. All assessment fees are free and not only those but also they will be getting daily allowance of 60.00 pesos per day, imagine they can get the training for free and still earn money while they develop their skills. Of course, if the trainee is absent from the class on that day, he/she will not be getting any allowance and for three to six months after the training, the trainee must be employed or self-employed to see if there is progress and to be sure that they will use the learning they have earned in TESDA.

Some upshort courses are Bartending, Building Wiring, Call Center Agent, Carpentry, Commercial Cooking, computer hardware servicing, consumer electronics servicing, food and beverage services, health care services, household housekeeping, Java, Korean language, machining, medical transcription, massage therapy, masonry, pipefitting, plumbing, shielder metal arch wielding, automotive servicing, driving, haircutting, small engine servicing, and others. With all of these courses available for free, many citizens will be encouraged to hone their skills and get a work either here or abroad. This Pangulong Gloria Scholarship (PGS) program is certainly the best educational program advertised by the government on producing not only the best workers but the best citizens of the country.

Just this year the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship program had just started on providing scholarship to the poor but well-deserving citizens in Mindanao. In Zamboanga City, a lot of citizens were qualified in the job-directed training program without so much cost to the scholars. In Catbalogan, Samar the PGS is also setting scholarship programs in the province to generate more jobs to the jobless youth and unemployed residents. The PGS program announced the availability of 1,170 scholarship slots with allocated fund of P10, 823,550. Courses like plumbing, carpentry, housekeeping, bartending, masonry, computer programming and others will be free for the scholars in Samar even these are all short courses these are still employable and easy for them to get job because these demand a lot of workers. The PGS program is prioritizing the youth to apply for scholarship and instead they stopped for college. Youth will also be avoided away from vices like drugs and alcohols and concentrate on job trainings. And in Leyte, the PGS program is accepting applicants who want to be call center agents. In the first batch with 72 examinees were accommodated and took a 7-minute conversation test to screen those who have the skills and efficiency in English language. And out of 72 examinees, 19 were selected for the scholarships and are capable for the job. And for the second batch, 82 examinees took the qualifying skills exam with 24 of them passed and ready to be employed in a call center company. The qualifiers are now enjoying the TESDA’s scholarship fund of P5, 000.00 per person for the 100 hours call center training.

Another is in Antique, where 697 scholars have availed the program in the province. Among the courses offered are barista (coffeemaker), commercial cooking, food and beverage and computer hardware servicing. All of these courses are being offered at an accredited vocational school which is the Advance Central College. After the training, all the graduates will undergo a mandatory assessment to be assured they will be highly competent before employing in any jobs. In Davao, there are 70 scholars, mostly are out-of-school youth have been given a chance to avail the program and get free training in courses Forklift operator, wheel loader operator and hydraulic excavator with the help of the DPWH or Department of Public Works and Highways. The PGS program is hoping that scholars will use this chance to help themselves and their families and show to the world that Filipino citizens are competitive and dedicated to their works.

One of the programs of TESDA in PGS program is LSI or the Language Skill Institute that intend to develop the language skills of our citizens with high language standards, assessment, and extensive trainings. Of course not only English will be teach but also other major languages like Mandarin, Korean, French, Spanish and Arabic. The target of this program is prioritizing for the people who want to work abroad. A research found out that Language Barriers could be one of the factors why employees are most likely being rejected when they apply and screen in an interview especially for aspiring OFWs. But with this program scholars who want to undergo language training they can sharpen their language proficiencies in varying languages and work across the globe.

And to tell a story of one of the lucky scholars is Jonalyn "Pam" Palma, a native in Iloilo. Jonalyn was actually a fresh gradate of BS Hotel and restaurant Management but can’t fin an immediate Hotel work and can’t start up a business. Jonalyn opted to apply in the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship program and fortunately qualified for call center agent and undergo training in Ilagan Career Development Center, one of the training centers of TESDA. After the training Jonalyn is successfully working on Teletech Iloilo Delivery Center as call center agent. There are other more scholars like Jonalyn hired in the company which still needs a hundred of employees. President Arroyo funded P350, 000 to the call center training program to ensure the facilities and supplies needed in the training for the increasing number of applicants.

This type of program is essential especially today, the citizens can find more opportunities for better jobs despite of the crisis we have. A lot of scholars have been produced because of this program. From ordinary citizen most are now skilled and educated Filipino despite of their financial status. Others who can’t afford to go for college and earn a degree but still want to have a decent job they can choose for vocational courses. In just short period and in a very low cost, they can find job after the training. I hope this program can produce more skilled and competent citizens that would help our drastic economy. Philippines have to give importance to our human resources and employment not only for the betterment of the economy but to the prosperity of the Filipinos….

Sources
http://tesdaqc.wordpress.com/pangulong-gloria-scholarships/
http://satellite.tmcnet.com/news/2009/03/05/4035379.htm
http://zamboangajournal.blogspot.com/2009/03/tesda-announces-new-scholarship-program.html
http://callcenter.mixph.com/tesda-scholarship-for-call-center-course/
http://www.samarnews.com/news2009/feb/f2061.htm
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/enterprise/view/20071119-101841/Tesda-7_to_open_institute_to_improve_language_skills
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pangasinan/p26b-fund-pangulong-gloria-scholars
http://www.thenewstoday.info/2009/06/04/697.antiquenos.avail.of.pangulong.gloria.scholarship.html
http://www.thenewstoday.info/2009/06/10/tesda.scholarships.html
http://entrebankph.com/complete-lists-of-pangulong-gloria-scholarship-courses-you-can-take/