BALER, Aurora (PIA) — A total of 166 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) participated in a three-day Community-Based Training on Food Processing in Dipaculao, Aurora.
The training, organized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), aims to equip disadvantaged families with marketable and practical skills to help them transition from poverty to sustainable livelihoods, fostering income generation and self-reliance through community-based learning.
TESDA Aurora Provincial Director Nomer Pascual said that the Community-Based Training on Food Processing is designed to provide participants with hands-on technical skills and basic entrepreneurship knowledge while strengthening partnerships among TESDA, DSWD, and local government units.
“The goal of this training is to empower our 4Ps beneficiaries by providing them with hands-on skills in meat and pastry processing. Through this, we aim to help them improve their livelihood, uplift their quality of life, and strengthen the partnership among TESDA, DSWD, local government units, and community organizations in rural areas,” Pascual emphasized.
The participants, identified by DSWD and endorsed to TESDA, are part of the agencies’ joint effort to support marginalized communities through education, skills training, and sustainable livelihood programs.
Through the three-day training, participants learned essential food safety and handling practices and gained hands-on experience in making longganisa, tocino, fish and vegetable patties, and pineapple tarts and pies as potential sources of livelihood.
“This type of training is highly important in helping citizens strengthen their livelihood, especially in communities that rely on temporary income or government assistance,” Pascual added.
To further support the program, participants received Certificates of Training and with the assistance of TESDA and DSWD, their progress will be monitored through livelihood tracking and linkages with the local government unit, and the Negosyo Center of Dipaculao.
Meanwhile, TESDA plans to expand its Community-Based Training programs to other barangays and municipalities in Aurora, particularly in remote areas, to widen access to skills development and livelihood opportunities across the province.
This partnership between TESDA and DSWD serves as a step toward building a more inclusive, productive, and progressive society by empowering disadvantaged families, enhancing employability, and strengthening local communities through inclusive and sustainable skills training programs that bridge the gap between opportunity and success.
(CLJD/MJRD, PIA Region 3-Aurora)
