CMIP partners with TESDA-NCR, builds training hub to empower Filipino skilled-workers

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Concepcion Midea Incorporated Philippines (CMIP), one of the country's leading appliance manufacturers, seals a partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority - NCR (TESDA-NCR) to augment the government agency’s resources in providing high-quality technical education facility for Filipinos.

(from left to right) Joecel Jones Anico, Commercial Sales, Aftersales and Quality Director of CMIP; Carmelo Layugan, Jr., ConcepCare Relationship and Fulfillment Team Business Unit Head of CIC; Anna Marie Alejandro, General Manager of CMIP; Hon. John Rey Tiangco, City Mayor of Navotas; Engr. Jovencio Ferrer, Jr., Regional Director of TESDA NCR; Leonardo Pinlac, District Director of TESDA CAMANAVA; and Floramel Joy Songsong, Executive Director of the TESDA Partnership and Linkages Office during the MOA signing agreement between CMIP and TESDA

As part of CMIP’s social collaboration programs, this initiative aims to provide a Technical Training Hub with all the necessary up-to-date equipment and tools, enhancing TESDA’s programs related to HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Airconditioning) and Home Appliance repair and installation with the Integration of IOT Technology.

This collaboration seeks to help produce competent and reliable technical workforce aligned with TESDA’s NC II and NC III regulations and certifications.

“This memorandum of agreement signing signifies more than just a formal commitment, it represents a milestone that collaborates effort between TESDA-Navotas, CMIP, and the City of Navotas. Together, we are dedicated to achieving a common goal, the establishment of an accessible, relevant, and conducive training facility for Filipinos who wish to learn and improve their technical skills,” shares Anna Marie Alejandro, General Manager of CMIP.

Present at the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement were Anna Marie Alejandro, CMIP’s General Manager; Carmelo Layugan, Jr., together with Engr. Jovencio M. Ferrer Jr., Regional Director for TESDA NCR; Leonardo E. Pinlac, District Director for TESDA CAMANAVA; and Hon. John Rey M. Tiangco, City Mayor of Navotas.

“What’s important to focus on now is for us to reach those who are meant to benefit from this partnership. All of the primary concerns they face currently will be solved only if they have a livelihood which we aim to provide,” says Engr. Jovencio M. Ferrer Jr., Regional Director of TESDA NCR.

“We are certain that this partnership will open a lot of doors of opportunities for our community. This will especially be of huge help to our trainees studying HVAC who, hopefully, will also become a Midea employee in the future. On behalf of every Navoteño that this collaboration will be able to support, we are very grateful for this partnership,” shares Hon. John Rey Tiangco, City Mayor of Navotas.

Established in 2013, CMIP unites Concepcion Industrial Corporation’s local expertise and network with Midea's global innovation, technology, design, and renowned expertise and reputation. United in purpose, the company strives to demonstrate its commitment to genuine care for Filipinos, guided by core values of passion, compassion, and excellence.

For more information, visit www.midea.com/ph, follow @mideaph on Instagram and Tiktok @mideaphilippines, subscribe to Midea Philippines Official on YouTube, and like @MideaPhilippines on Facebook.

Coca-Cola PH continues to empower micro-entrepreneurs, celebrates 500 graduates of training program with TESDA

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(MANILA, Philippines, 28 March 2023) – 500 micro-entrepreneurs were awarded Certificates of Completion for finishing the iSTAR Program in a graduation ceremony held at the TESDA Complex in Taguig City last March 22, 2023.

Launched in 2021, the iSTAR Program is the digital adaptation of the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program, an enduring partnership between Coca-Cola Philippines and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which provides free access to training, resources, and peer mentoring to micro and small business owners to help them grow their businesses. The iSTAR Program has removed the limitations of in-classroom training and diversified its trainees by opening it to existing and start-up micro-retailers of all genders.

TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz (left) and Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario (right) also met during the iSTAR graduation ceremony to discuss plans to further expand and strengthen the training program.

Aimed at providing entrepreneurial training, sari-sari store owners and micro-entrepreneurs will be able to enhance their business knowledge such as online selling, inventory control, and planning; and gain access to microloans that will enable them to build their businesses further.

The iSTAR Program is one of the efforts of Coca-Cola Philippines in sustaining the economic empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. For over a decade, Coca-Cola's initiatives in this area have reached more than 270,000 women entrepreneurs in the retail sector across 17 regions and 81 provinces of the Philippines.

Sari-sari stores in the Philippines see a refreshing future with Coca-Cola

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It has been two years since Carmencita Aspiras turned around her home-based business – a sari-sari store that she used to help augment her family’s daily finances, including the allowances and requirements of her children who were earning their college degrees.

The Coca-Cola Company Asia Pacific Group president, John Murphy, joined the graduates of the Coca-Cola STAR Program in a toast to celebrate the success of the program in enabling women entrepreneurs increase their profit. Murphy is joined by TESDA Deputy Director General Rebecca Calzado, Coca-Cola Philippines President Diego Granizo, and Coca-Cola Philippines Sustainability Manager Gilda Maquilan.

Like most sari-sari stores in the country, Aspiras ran it for the first two years based on her own perception of how the business ought to be managed. But joining and completing the Coca-Cola 5by20 Sari-sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) program in 2014 changed the course of her business, and her life.

“From earning P2,500 to P3,000 daily, by implementing what I learned from the program, my store now earns an average of P5,000 daily.

More than doubling her store’s daily earnings, Aspiras said that what struck her most in the Coca-Cola STAR program was how it helped her become a better wife, mother, and person. “I am what I am today because of the (Coca-Cola STAR) program. I was able to let my children finish school, business is thriving, and if not for the program, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be here in front of you,” Aspiras said during a roundtable meeting with John Murphy, the president of the Asia Pacific Group of The Coca-Cola Company.

Coca-Cola STAR Program graduate Carmencita Aspiras welcomed The Coca-Cola Company Asia Pacific Group President John Murphy to her Baby’s Store in Taguig City. More than doubling her income, the program helped Aspiras achieve the dreams she had for her family, particularly for her children to finish their school.

Coca-Cola, with its 19 manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, and over 10,000 strong labor force, is proactive in promoting women empowerment through 5by20, a global initiative that aims to empower 5 million women worldwide by the year 2020. Locally, the 5by20 initiative targets the empowerment of 200,000 women through the STAR Program.

“It’s an honor for us to be here with you today. When the program was started, people inside and outside the company were wondering if it was possible to empower five million women around the world. Sitting here with you today shows that vision is being fulfilled by people like you. And your stories will continue to inspire us at Coca-Cola to continue with these programs,” said Murphy who was in the country along with other top executives of Coca-Cola for a three-day visit.

Murphy visited the various sustainability programs of Coca-Cola Philippines, particularly the Coca-Cola STAR Program. Earlier in the day, he visited Aspiras’ store in Barangay Wawa, Taguig City.

In that meeting, Murphy was joined by 10 women micro-entrepreneurs who have completed the Coca-Cola STAR Program as well as officials from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), led by Deputy Director General Rebecca Calzado.

The Coca-Cola STAR Program is implemented in partnership with TESDA, where women around the country can enroll and undergo the Basic Entrepreneurship and Gender Sensitivity Training at the STAR Center for Excellence operated and managed at the TESDA Women’s Center in Taguig City and other STAR Program trainings conducted in the regions.

Business venture turned philanthropic crusade to help, educate the poor

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Helping people, the less fortunate, is natural for Filipinos, particularly those who have achieved their success from humble beginnings. 

Nilo S. Gret, a former Bank Executive and native of Tiaong, Quezon province, is one of those Filipinos. He pioneered the first technical school in Tiaong, Quezon, where it is helping local students pursue paying careers with TESDA backed certified training.

Nilo and Zenny Gret during AITE's 8th Commencement Rites

It started in 2008, when Nilo was approached during a social gathering by a closed business colleague from Tiaong, Quezon, who openly suggested to him the opportunity to be part of running this technical training school based in their hometown province. Nilo was hesitant at first, but with his educational background and working experience, he agreed to be a business partner of that school.

Nilo invested in what is now The Asian Institute of Technology and Education (AITE). "I decided to be part of that school (AITE) in the hope that it would be a vehicle for myself to help other young people get a better education locally, where most people would normally travel to Metro Manila to pursue a college degree," recalled Nilo Gret.

But there was more to AITE that met Gret's business expectations. "AITE, the time I started investing on the school, was on the brink of closure, and it was only a matter of time before it ceases operation. I had to do something about it," said Gret.

The initial investment Gret put up to AITE, because the school needed to fill in the resources for its regular operational expenses, was short-lived. "It (investment) paid for the salaries of the employees, rental of the building, maintenance of the school's facilities, etc. Everything went on to those immediate expenses the school needed to pay off."

AITE School Building

Gret, with the school's depleting resources, had considered backing out of the business partnership. "My business partner, with the state of the school, backed out first, saying that he could no longer keep up with the school's expenses." AITE's fate was left hanging with Gret, who, at that time, knew little how to manage a technical school more so that it was in the brink of bankruptcy.

"We only had a few months to graduation, and with very limited funding to lean on, Gret decided to manage the AITE himself, slowly addressing the school's mismanaged operation. With over 100 students expecting to graduate with training certification, Gret worked to downsize the school's operation, keeping it to manageable levels.

"With my management, we were multi-tasking, keeping the school functioning for the remainder of the school year. It was a fresh start for AITE," said Gret.

Gret saw the bigger potential of AITE, not just as a technical school that offers vocation training, but a long term opportunity to help his townmates get proper education. Students could now get TESDA training or CHED’s 4-year education at a very low spending and without needing to sell a property so a family member can travel to Manila to get college education," said Gret.

Gret, with the help of his wife Zenaida, who is also now the Vice President for Finance and Administration of AITE, began focusing their time in the school's day-to-day management. "It was a difficult period for AITE, but sooner or later we were able to find benefactors willing to sponsor our students." AITE, with Gret's leadership and the school's trained technical trainers, began offering new courses and skills development training program.

By 2009, from the initial 100 students, along with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) formal recognition of AITE in that same year, the school started offering new courses and skills development programs. It now included four year courses namely: Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (BSED) (with majors in Mathematics and English) together with Bachelor of Science course in Information Technology (BSIT), Bachelor of Science in Accounting Technology (BSAct), Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BSEntrep) and Bachelor of Science in Office Management (BSOA).

As a recognized TESDA partner, AITE added more technical courses in bookkeeping, driving, massage therapy, tile setting, mobile training in tile setting and driving, and two (2) year ladderized program leading to BSIT.

With Gret's objective of providing opportunities to more low-income group families desiring to have their children courses that would lead to immediate employment after graduation, AITE, which is now affiliated with various employment agencies, said the initiative is his way of sharing the success he has experienced from training and hard work.

In 2010, AITE moved to its own building with improved training facilities and equipment. The 3-storey building, located along Maharlika Highway in Tiaong was constructed to house the school growing number of enrollees from the province.

"AITE is developing, offering certified and four year college courses. We want this development to continue helping more Filipinos from Quezon get the right education so they can be employed, help contribute to the family's meager income locally," said Gret.

For 2015, with new expansion plans set in motion, AITE is set to open another 4-storey building to accommodate the increasing demand for education and in preparation for the introduction of the government's K to 12 program through the Department of Education (DEPED).

DepEd, TESDA launch “Gulayan Cook-Off Challenge”

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To promote nutrition among Filipino children, the Department of Education (DepEd) in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Association (TESDA), initiated the “Get Your Gulay On: Grand Gulay Cook-Off Challenge”, a contest that aims to encourage innovation in making healthy snacks made of vegetables from the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program in public schools.

“Ang gusto po naming gawin ngayong umaga ay ipakalat ang pagkain ng gulay sa mga kabataan at siguraduhin na kakain sila ng mga masusustansyang pagkain. Gusto rin nating gamitin ang mga gulay na tinanim natin sa mga paaralan bilang sangkap sa mga lulutuing pagkain,” said Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC. He emphasized the importance of proper nutrition in improving the performance of students in school.

Participants from TESDA training institutes prepared nutritious vegetable dishes for some 100 elementary students from Taguig and Pasay Cities invited as judges. Part of the criteria requires that the ingredients must not contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) – ready-made breading, soup stocks, liquid seasoning. 

TESDA Director-General Secretary Joel J. Villanueva explained that the program promotes the talents of TESDA cookery graduates, while helping develop nutritious recipes for students. “It is important that we not only provide nutritious meals to help our students Go, Grow, and Glow but also to give them the opportunity to be transformed—to transform their community, and even transform our beloved country,” he said.

Gulayan Cook-off winner Helen L. De Guzman of STI Computer College of Parañaque, Inc., coached by Rosela P. Ongkeko, garnered the most votes from the students for her “Kalalunggay Tart” recipe, with kalabasa and malunggay as the main ingredients. Their recipe will be verified by TESDA for nutritional benefits and may be included in the menu of public school canteens as snacks.

The two secretaries, pleased with the outcome of the launch, eyed a nationwide event for the coming months. “Because of the success of this pilot program, we plan to go around the country, one region per month come 2015,” said Luistro. He also shared that both DepEd and TESDA will “collect the recipes of the food made and post them on the website so that parents and teachers may be encouraged to eat more nutritious meals.”

Luistro then urged the participants to continue supporting the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program by DepEd. “Sana po maging inspirasyon itong programang ito para sa mga magulang, sa mga guro, at sa ating mga school canteen na gamitin ang mga gulay na itinatanim sa ating Gulayan,” he said.

As part of the directive by the President through Executive Order No. 26 entitled the Implementation of the National Greening Program, the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program was formed as a task force for all public schools to “establish vegetable gardens to serve as food basket and a main source of commodities to sustain supplementary feeding.”