A group of men take pride in becoming skilled workers.
When Nelson Sucaldito learned in August 2015 that Barangay Lamba was calling for participants to a free 20-day training on plastic surface masonry, he didn’t think twice about joining. A long-time resident of the barangay, he was earning only minimal income from farming and was willing to learn a new trade that could improve his family’s life. He knew it wouldn’t be easy; aged 56 at the time, he would be the oldest student in a batch of 20. But his eagerness to acquire a new skill overcame any apprehension he had.
The livelihood training opportunity was facilitated by the Magdalo Party-list through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) which had been accessed by Kasilak. Wanting to channel the resources to Lamba in Banga, South Cotabato under its technical skills development program, Kasilak approached TESDA for assistance and was offered the plastic surface masonry course.
The training itself would be handled by the Surallah Agricultural National School whose teachers would go to Lamba to give lectures and conduct field training. If they complete the course, the participants would be awarded a National Certificate (NC)2 which would make it easier to find work anywhere in the country — and even abroad.
Barangay captain Ernesto Bustamante says the project was ideal for the community because the Dole-Stanfilco plantation in the area was always in need of specialized construction workers. “They needed to contract plastic surface masons for their buildings and other structures,” he says. “This project was a perfect fit for Dole-Stanfilco and our people.”
The 20 slots were filled up soon after the project was announced. “The youngest was 21 while the oldest was 56,” Ernesto says, pointing to Nelson. The training was done from August to October 2015, with sessions held three days a week. TESDA took care of the training, including food for the participants, while the barangay gave a counterpart of in the form of cement, sand, and other materials.
The trainees were allowed to apply their new skills on the walls and other structures in the barangay hall compound. Nelson recalls that the training was difficult especially for those who had no experience in masonry. “It was hard, but in the end it was all worth it,” he says.
The hard work did pay off big-time for 18 of the participants, who received their NC2 in a simple ceremony after the course. Two of the participants received only an NCI because they were not able to attend the final assessment, but all 20 were provided with basic masonry starter kits. For all of them, it was a learning experience that would last them a lifetime.
These days, Nelson and the other trainees juggle their time between their regular work and doing masonry for various clients. The demand has been steady and they work not just in Lamba but in other areas as well — sometimes as far away as Malungon, Sarangani more than two hours away.
“All of us who were trained now live better lives,” Nelson says. “Not only we do earn more, we also take pride in being skilled workers.” The new self-esteem, in the end, is worth far more than material things.
