MANILA — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) said it has been allowed to hold face-to-face training and competency assessment at 50-percent site capacity.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), through a resolution issued last Saturday, gave TESDA the green light to hold face-to-face training and competency assessment in areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
"The IATF allows these to be conducted at up to 50% of the training or assessment site capacity, and provided that these are in strict compliance with minimum public health standards, TESDA guidelines, and consultation with local government units," TESDA said in a statement Wednesday.
The IATF also authorized the resumption of training programs "related to agriculture [or] fishery qualifications for food production and processing," TESDA said.
Enterprise-based and in-plant training have also been allowed in establishments operating in general community quarantine areas, according to TESDA.
The agency added that it would also implement distance and online learning for some of its program, and assessment through electronic means for certain qualifications.
"It is in these trying times that people need to be skilled for their livelihood or for new jobs as they navigate through life in the new normal," said TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña.
Face-to-face training and assessment were suspended in mid-March after parts of the country were placed on lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
On Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 in the country reached 31,825, where 8,442 have recovered while 1,186 died.
During the lockdown period, TESDA expanded its online course program to accommodate a larger number of Filipinos seeking to learn new skills.
education, technical-vocational education, technical and vocational education and training, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, skills training, skills training for Filipinos, modified general community quarantine