THE House Committee on Higher and Technical Education approved a bill that seeks to institutionalize targeted training and livelihood programs for those rehabilitated from drug dependency.
In a statement on Sunday, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, the committee chairman, lauded members of the panel “for moving swiftly on” the measure.“This will help open doors for a segment of our society that suffers from the social stigma that keeps them from seeking help, and it tackles the practical hurdle of finding dignified work after rehabilitation,” he said.Acidre, along with Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, authored House Bill 4699, which was among the measures on the committee’s agenda last week.“We are encouraging hope in this bill of former Speaker Romualdez, making recovery real for families. When the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) training is matched with actual job opportunities and incentives for companies, people who did the hard work of rehabilitation can finally move forward with more hope for a better future,” Acidre said.Under the bill, Tesda, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), would “design and implement technical-vocational education and training and livelihood programs specifically tailored to rehabilitated drug dependents, with a focus on competitive, market-ready skills that can lead to wage employment or small enterprise.”The measure also tasks the DOLE to provide incentives to companies that employ graduates of these Tesda programs.
