Canadian reps pleased with Talikud project

Davao del Norte, November 10, 2014 – Representatives from the Canadian government and the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Talikud Island Development Project during their recent visit to the island.

LGSP-LED Team Leader and First Secretary Genevive Asselin and LGSP-LED Regional Director Susan Steffen were pleased to see the residents of Talikud respond positively to the introduction of programs specifically targeting the workforce of the island. Workforce development is one of the key components of the project that aims to provide skills and livelihood training for residents in preparation for projected demands once investments start pouring in. Sub-projects will be spearheaded by the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte in cooperation with the private sector and representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“I am excited to see the cooperation of all of the different agencies and your political leadership to ensure that the jobs that will come from tourism are sustainable jobs, are long term jobs, and are jobs of good quality for Talikud and the whole island,” said Steffen.

Barangay officials from Barangay Dadatan, Cogon, Sta. Cruz, and Linosutan went through an orientation about the partnership between LGSP-LED, the provincial government of Davao del Norte, and national government agencies. They were then briefed about their role in the workforce development component of the project.

“I encourage you in your work. I am pleased with the advancements that have been made so far. And I hope to hear much more good things that come from the people of Talikud,” said Steffen.

The first program to be implemented will be a survey that will map the existing skills of the residents and will assess their certification or levels. The next set of programs will be simultaneous trainings on various skills such as landscaping, carpentry/masonry, food & beverage, bartending housekeeping, frontline servicing, plumbing, house wiring/electrical, mechanical, tour guiding, culinary arts, security force development, community-based assistance, and boat tending. For those who could not meet the requirements needed for skills training, they would undergo livelihood trainings on handicraft making, food processing, gifts and housewares making, and entrepreneurship development.

Asselin believes it is crucial for the residents to be involved in the project for them to appreciate in a deeper sense the efforts of the government in supporting them.

“Various programs of the national government agencies often find that the local level are not fully aware of what exists to develop converging. We are helping, through our partnership, to make the services converge here at the local level,” she said.

The P6 million project targets 1,294 job to be created by the end of 2016.

Meanwhile, DOLE in cooperation with the provincial government of Davao del Norte and the A-TEACHER Party-list launched an Emergency Employment program, a month-long activity that will employ 280 residents for mangrove planting and coastal clean-up of Talikud Island. They will also be the first recipients of the skills training program of the workforce development component. (Keisha Therese D. Halili-PIO)