Program for our country’s progress (Part 2)

Atotal of of 161 OFW dependents in Davao Region took the national competitive examination for the scholarship programs of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) 11 in five different testing centers.

Nationwide, there are 400 passers who qualified for the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) and the Congressional Migrant Workers scholarship Program (CMWSP) of Owwa. The tests will be given in seven testing centers in Mindanao.

The examinees should be graduates of senior high school who passed the qualifying exam. The exam is administered by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). A financial assistance of P60,000 will be given to scholars.

The program shall benefit deserving migrant workers and or their immediate dependents who intend to pursue courses primarily in the field of Science and Technology identified by DOST. Other scholarships offered in the country is funded by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakea Office.

The Philippine government continues to push forward with its “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program despite some challenges. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is expanding its inventory of big-ticket assets that future adminiistrations can later privatize to raise funds for its own programs.

The United States recently gave US$25 million as aid for the rehabilitation of Marawi, which is being implemented by Task Force Bangon Marawi. The fund will be used to improve the economic and social condition of the city that was destroyed by the war.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) plans to strengthen the dual training system (DTS) in its technical-vocational (techvoc) courses. The industries with rapid technology advancements like manufacturing will have the most benefits. The theoretical training in schools and practical training in companies will be combined in this system. Duration of the course would depend on the designed plan of the training center and the industry. The training hours is 60 percent in the company and 40 percent in school. The DTS will bridge the unemployment and skills gap especially among the youth who finished only the techvoc.

Bankers have opened its doors to green financing. Bankers in Southeast Asia are looking into green financing to combat the adverse effects of climate change in the region. The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), Asean Bankers Association (ABA), and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), together with the World Wild life Fund (WWF) convened recently to discuss the role of the financial institutions in pushing for green financing. This needs a scientific study of cause and effects on the climate changes. The warming of the earth’s atmosphere caused by burning fossil fuels. It will a long time to reach a conclusion the Bankers green financing agenda.