TESDA wants P3.3-billion additional budget for 2020

Aika Rey

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TESDA wants P3.3-billion additional budget for 2020

Rappler

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority chief Isidro Lapeña says half of the requested additional funding will be used to implement the Tulong-Trabaho Act

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate finance committee on Thursday, September 19, approved the proposed P11.8-billion budget of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), even as the agency urged senators to increase their funds for next year.

Under the 2020 National Expenditure Program, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) gave TESDA an P11.8-billion budget for next year, which is up for lawmaker’s approval. The figure is P700 million less than the 2019 appropriation of P12.55 billion.

On Thursday, TESDA chief Isidro Lapeña personally appealed to senators to push for a P3.3-billion hike in funds that will cover their unfunded projects and programs. The proposed hike would bring their total budget to P15.15 billion for 2020.

Half or P1.55 billion of the requested additional funds is for the implementation of the Tulong-Trabaho Act, which did not receive any allocation in the proposed budget. The new law supposedly gives funding to select technical-vocational training programs and schools.

Lapeña also raised that the Philippines is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Skills Competition in 2022. Organizing costs have a price tag of P659.83 million.

In its presentation, TESDA also noted that only P50 million out of the proposed P536 million for mobile training trucks was approved by the DBM. Lapeña asked for an additioning funding of P486 million for the said line item.

Senator Joel Villanueva, a former TESDA chief, presided over the budget hearing. Villanueva said that they will look at how the requested additional budget will be funded.

After two hours of interpellation, the Senate committee approved TESDA’s proposed P11.8-billion budget.

The requested additional funding will be the subject of senators’ scrutiny in subsequent hearings. – Rappler.com

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Aika Rey

Aika Rey is a business reporter for Rappler. She covered the Senate of the Philippines before fully diving into numbers and companies. Got tips? Find her on Twitter at @reyaika or shoot her an email at aika.rey@rappler.com.