Tesda, PEF designing forest guard course

A partnership between the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), and the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) is being worked out to finally create a Forest Guard Training course accredited by Tesda.

With the 200 volunteer indigenous forest guards stationed in the forests of Davao City, PEF Director for Conservation and Research Jayson Ibañez said they plan to have their scout ranging training be accredited by Tesda.

“Our priorities are those forest guards who are already engaged by the city government especially those that have clean track records - the performers. We want this to be a sort of reward or incentive for their hard work so we can also cull out the nonperformers,” he said.

PEF is already drafting a copy of training standards that they target to be completed within the year and subject for evaluation and approval of Tesda. They target that the program be launched by 2019 with Davao City as the location of the pilot training.

Ibañez said they have an existing 3-5 days training for their volunteer forest guards, however, with the proposed Forest Guard Tesda course; they plan to make the course longer, more systematic, and more competitive.

Aside from being trained forest guards, this will also equip the participants to be ready for employment in companies such as the Davao City Water District as watershed facility personnel, renewable energy companies, and even of the local government units and non-government organizations.

When asked if they are also willing to open the course for non-IP volunteers, Ibañez said they would want to prioritize the IPs as they have more limited opportunities. However, once the Scout Ranger training will be accredited by Tesda, there will be no more limits as to who may participate.