More Courses Now Available in TESDA Online Program

Taguig City – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is continuously expanding its online training program as more courses are now available in the platform.

As of October 2021, there are now 114 courses in the TESDA Online Program (TOP), according to the data released by e-TESDA.

Among the new courses integrated in the platform are International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Job Readiness, English as a Medium of Instruction, Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom and Microsoft’s Digital Literacy.

The TOP is a web-based platform that offers free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for the technical education and skills development of the Filipino workforce.

Through the use of information and communication technologies, the TOP provides an effective and efficient way to deliver technical education and skills development services to Filipinos and widen their chances of employment or sources of livelihood.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has also pushed Filipinos to register in the TOP. From its launching in 2012 up to October 2021, the TOP now has 3,443,530 registered users.

Since the government imposed travel restrictions due to COVID-19in March 16, 2020 up to October 2021, there are 2,006,923 Filipinos who registered in the TOP, which is over the half of the accumulated registrants since 2012.

In June last year, TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña led the launching of “TESDA Abot Lahat ang OFWs” program which aims to help upskill Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Rodrigo Duterte, through his state-of-the-nation-address, ordered TESDA to empower OFWs especially those repatriated due to COVID-19pandemic.

Data, also released by e-TESDA, showed that a total of 163,750 OFWs and their dependents have registered in the TOP from March 2020 to August 2021.

With this, Lapeña encouraged everyone to avail of the agency's online courses to remain productive amid the mobility restrictions due to COVID-19pandemic.

“I invite the public, especially those who have lost their jobs or those trying to venture into a new livelihood, to try enrolling in our online classes. This is offered for free. I’m sure you can find a course from the many options that will best suit your need,” Lapeña said.

For those interested to register or view the list of available courses,just visit https://www.e-tesda.gov.ph/.

Enrollees will be given a certificate of completion after finishing a course.However, those who wish to receive a National Certificate must undergo competency assessment in TESDA-accredited assessment centers.

QC’s First bakery supports “Sunday Beauty Queen” & other 2016 MMFF movies

Moviegoers are encouraged to watch all eight entries of the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) on opening day December 25, to share reviews on social media and to ask more theaters to show these films. This call was voiced by filmmakers behind “Sunday Beauty Queen”, “Saving Sally”, “Oro” and “Kabisera”---joined by MMFF leaders Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, Prof. Ed Cabagnot, Moira Lee, MMFF Selection Committee’s Prof. Nic Tiongson, Krip Yuson and Mae Paner, Quezon City Congressman Alfred Vargas’ representative Noel Ferrer---at two sessions of the “Pandesal Forum” with media at 77-year-old, artisanal KamuningBakery Café in Quezon City.  

            Apart from the support of Kamuning Bakery Café for the 2016 MMFF, the senior citizens association of  Quezon City’s oldest Barangay Kamuning offered a “surprise Christmas gift” to express support for the film “Sunday Beauty Queen”, for all OFWs worldwide and for the 2016 MMFF by singing Christmas carols wearing traditional Filipiniana attires at the December 20 Pandesal Forum attended by MMFF Executive Committee’s Prof. Ed Cabagnot, MMFF Screening Committee member Mae Paner, “Sunday Beauty Queen” film director Babyruth Villarama, OFW talent from Hong Kong Mylyn Jacobo & TBA producer Vincent Nebrida, and others.

            “Sunday Beauty Queen” is the first ever documentary film to have qualified to join the MMFF in its history. Rated G for general patronage by the MTRCB, it was also graded “A” by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) unanimously by all 10 CEB reviewers, although it is one of the underdog film entries in the 2016 MMFF since it has no movie actress or actor.

Venice & Singapore film festival officials join John Lloyd as jurors, Vilma begged off as juror

            For the first time, the 2016 MMFF jurors shall include two officials of prestigious international film festivals---film critic and producer Paolo Bertolin of the Venice International Film Festival, and film critic Philip Cheah of the Singapore International Film Festival. They shall join other jurors like actor John Lloyd Cruz. MMFF’s Ed Cabagnot said that Batangas Congresswoman Vilma Santos Recto had declined to be a juror.

Heneral Luna had weak box office for first week, but became hit by the third week

            Vincent Nebrida of TBA, producers of the indie film “Heneral Luna”, asked at the Pandesal Forum that 2016 MMFF films like their “Sunday Beauty Queen” be shown at least one week and and not just the two days earlier promised, he also asked for more theaters to accommodate their film. Nebrida pointed out that “General Luna” had weak box office during its first week but it became “the record all-time highest grossing third-week movie in the Philippines.” Nebrida recounted “Heneral Luna” started out with 80 theaters, but after weak box office in the first week, there were only 40 theaters showing it, but after favorable word-of-mouth and social media reviews, “Heneral Luna” became a box office success.  

            Also at the December 8 Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Café, Boots Anson Roa Rodrigo, Moira Lang, Prof. Nic Tiongson, Krip Yuson, Noel Ferrer, filmmakers and actors of “Oro”, “Saving Sally” and “Kabisera” films led by directors Alvin Yapan and Avid Liongoren, actors Ricky Davao and Acey Aguilar and scriptwriter Charlene Rodriguez, all of them invited the public to watch the eight diverse genre films of the 2016 MMFF which will showcase fun, excellent movies. 

            The 2016 MMFF’s two Pandesal Forum sessions at Kamuning Bakery Café were sponsored by  bakery customer Joeben Tai of J & T Plasticware, and also by Pandesal Forum moderator and Ricky Lee scriptwriting workshop graduate Wilson Lee Flores.

***                  ***                  ***

            Ever since writer and realty entrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores bought and revived Kamuning Bakery Cafe in 2014, it has been featured on TV by numerous local and even international TV shows such as those hosted by Anne Curtis, Kris Aquino, Marian Rivera, Jessica Soho and others. The old cafe was restored and re-opened on March 20, 2015 with actress Anne Curtis as its first guest.     

            Among many showbiz, arts, literary, political, media and other celebrities who have patronized Kamuning Bakery Cafe for the past 77 years included TV5 founder and the late newspaper publisher Joaquin “Chino” Roces and his father the pre-war media tycoon Don Alejandro Roces. In fact, it was the elder Roces who had invitedKamuning Bakery Cafe founder Atty. Leticia “Letty” Bonifacio Javier to open Quezon City’s first bakery in 1939. Among its many other clients included President Cory C. Aquino, food critic Dr. Doreen G. Fernandez and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

            Flores said that among the numerous Kamuning Bakery Cafe customers included many literary, political, media and showbiz celebrities for 77 years. ForKamuning Bakery Cafe’s unique annual October 16 celebration of “World Pandesal Day” of giving away free pugon-baked pandesal breads, this project was publicly supported by President Rody Duterte, ex-actor and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Metro Manila Film Festival primemover and now Ilocos Norte Cong. Imelda Romualdez Marcos, Senator Sonny Angara, GMA 7 Chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon and actor Dingdong Dantes.

            The ambassadors of China, Russia, Britain and the U.S.---Zhao Jianhua, Igor Khovaev, Asif Ahmad and Philip Goldberg---also spoke at rare sessions of the Pandesal Forum with media and intellectuals at Kamuning Bakery Café this 2016.

Project: First Home Book Launch

We might be familiar of Reality TV's about home renovation similar programs and you might be like me that always gets amazed of the transformation of the homes from ordinary to awesome, or sometimes even starting from scratch but this time we'll have our own version of it which is in a form of comprehensive guidebook that teaches first-time Filipino homebuilders how to build a house from the ground up. Last September 10, 2014 it had its formal bookstore launch in Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. The book, “Project: First Home – everything you need to know to build your house from scratch” is written by John Aguilar, creator and executive producer of the Philippine’s longest-running real estate and construction TV show Philippine Realty TV. The foreword is written by renowned Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox, Jr.

"Project: First Home” takes its inspiration from the same-titled series on Philippine Realty TV where Aguilar documented the construction of his first house – from design phase, construction, all the way to the finishing and furnishing. Chapters include advice on how to find the perfect lot; tips on how to secure a home loan; finding and hiring the design and construction teams; preparing for the design phase with the architect; going through the construction proper; finishing; and interior design. Special chapters also discuss the major construction materials that are used including a chapter dedicated to green and disaster adaptive home designs against typhoons and floods.

The book also features industry expert collaborators interviewed by Aguilar that include Arch. Jun Palafox for architecture; Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Undersecretary Danilo Antonio for property acquisition; Ivy and Cynthia Almario, and Philippine Realty TV host Tessa Prieto-Valdes, for interior design; and Maritess Allen for feng shui, among others. Aguilar, who is a first time author, shared that “When I built my house, I wished that I had a book that would guide me through the entire house building process,” he said, “so I wrote the book for people to have a guide through the complexities of it all since building your home is one of the most important things you will ever do in your life.”

Also launched was the downloadable digital Ebook version which contains bonus interactive tools, videos culled from the Project: First Home series on Philippine Realty TV, and links to important websites of government agencies, suppliers, and organizations. Present at the book launch were the expert book collaborators and industry partners that include Architect Jun Palafox, BPI Family Savings Bank’s Vice President and Product Marketing Head Noel Altamirano, and representatives from Cemex Philippines who were given plaques of appreciation for being the book’s content collaborators.

The book was written in partnership with major sponsors BPI Family Savings Bank and Meralco, with minor sponsors Cemex Philippines, Jackbilt Industries, Phelps Dodge Philippines, Cypress Bomanite, and Megabuild 101. “Project: First Home” is now available in all Fully Booked and Wilcon Depot branches nationwide. The Ebook is also available for download through the Buqo App.
For inquiries and bulk purchases, contact Second Wind Publishing at Tel. (02) 621-4635 or email info@philippinerealtytv.com. Visit www.PhilippineRealtyTV.com for more information on the book and airing schedules of Philippine Realty TV.