ABOUT 30 former rebels are attending the animal production seminar being held by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in Compostela Valley as part of the government's livelihood training program.
Some 268 former rebels from Compostela Valley were earlier reported to have surrendered to President Rodrigo Duterte. Out of this number, only 65 showed up during the profiling at Maco, Compostela Valley last March.
The 65 former rebels were asked what kind of livelihood skills they wanted to learn. Most of them answered swine production while others wanted to learn shielded metal arc welding and bread and pastry making.
The animal production seminar started on June 4 and will last for 42 weeks. Tesda specialist Mafel Joanne Gamale said they would want to keep the location of the seminar confidential for security reasons. She assured that the seminar is being secured by the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and that the participants are free to go home every week.
"With these seminars, we would want these former rebels to be included again in the 'mainstream'. We would want them to be able to go back to the community," Gamale said.
She added out of the 65 former rebels present during the profiling, two women were already set to work abroad and already had their passports. She said they were interested to attend the bread, pastry, and cake making workshop of Tesda Compostela Valley.
"We are very happy about this. We are glad that they are gradually going back to the community and normal life," she said.
Tesda Compostela Valley is scheduled to start with the welding workshop next month as they are following the in-demand jobs and seminars according to the answers of the participants during the profiling. The seminars and workshops are conducted for free.
