TECHNICAL EDUCATION and Skills Development Authority chief Isidro Lapeña led the groundbreaking ceremony for TESDA’s new provincial office building in Roxas City, Capiz on Sunday, January 17, 2021.

During the ceremony, Lapeña noted that TESDA-Capiz will no longer rent an office space after the construction of its building.

“For the longest time, 36 long years, TESDA-Capiz has been renting an office space. Part of our budget has to be allocated to pay for the rent in order for the provincial office to function. We could have used this budget to cover other more important expenses of the provincial office,” Lapeña said.

The TESDA chief also believes that with this milestone, TESDA-Capiz will provide its clients greater access to technical vocational education and training and increase its operational units’ efficiency.

On Monday, Lapeña led the inauguration of the TESDA Center for Excellence Building in Santa Barbara, Iloilo which now houses the Iloilo Provincial Office and the Iloilo Provincial Training Center.

Also, together with Deputy Director General for TESDA Operations, Lapeña visited the Regional Training Center in Talisay and the Provincial Training Center in Cadiz, both located in Negros Occidental.

Meanwhile, the TESDA chief is expected to sign a Deed of Usufruct for the construction of Negros Oriental Provincial Training Center in Dumaguete City.

As part of the agency’s guiding principle “TESDA Abot Lahat,” Lapeña aims to provide every province with a TESDA Provincial Training Center to give every Filipino, especially those in far-flung areas, easier access to the government’s free skills training and other livelihood projects.

As of December 2020, TESDA has established 59 new provincial/district training centers and one innovation Center in Cebu.