SENATOR Francis Escudero on Tuesday said that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority must have training and livelihood programs specifically designed for former drug dependents.

At the hearing of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, Escudero was surprised to learn that TESDA does not have exclusive livelihood and training programs catering to rehabilitated drug users.

“If we will institutionalize TESDA’s training and livelihood programs for rehabilitated drug dependents, we might as well design something that will specifically cater to them,” Escudero said during the discussion of Senate Bill 2115 and its counterpart House Bill 7721 that both seek to institutionalize technical-vocational education and training and livelihood programs for former drug dependents.

TESDA representative Joyce Balong admitted that it prioritizes former drug users in their existing livelihood and training programs.

Escudero ordered the consolidation of the two bills and referred them to a technical working group that will study the training or livelihood programs exclusively for rehabilitated or former drug dependents.

According to TESDA, almost 9,000 former drug dependents were awarded scholarships in 2021, with more than 8,000 of them successfully completing various courses initiated by the TVET program.

In desiring for an exclusive training and livelihood modules for the former drug dependents, Escudero agreed with Sen. Bong Go, the author of SB 2115 that institutionalizing TESDA’s programs will be a vital component of their recovery journey that will allow them to find meaningful employment and rebuild their lives.

Escudero also instructed the TWG to consider the existing Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Agreement of the Dangerous Drug Board with various government bodies such as the Department of Labor and Employment, the Commission on Higher Education and TESDA in formulating the tailored-fit programs.