TESDA’s Project TALA lights up farthest sitio in South Cotabato
Local News • 15:45 PM Wed Apr 28, 2021
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By:
Karl Mike Tabingo
TESDA -12 Regional Director Rafael Abrogar speaks during the turn over program for solar panels in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. (Photo by PIA South Cotabato)
KORONADAL CITY - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has released additional 150 solar panels to the additional beneficiaries of Project TALA (TESDA Alay ay Liwanag at Asenso) to complete the 250 solar panels that were promised by TESDA nine months ago.
TESDA 12 Regional Director Rafael Y. Abrogar II together with other agencies led the dispersal of the solar panels to the beneficiaries from Sitio Blit and Sitio Limdel, Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
“No words can describe what we saw and felt with the people of Sitio Blit and Sitio Lemdel as they receive their PV system,” TESDA Director Abrogar said during the turn over program.
According to Ronny Ligal, 40 years old and a pioneer of Sitio Blit, there will be no more nights of burning sacks inside of their home just to have a light and to see his children at night.
Ligal who has five children, including a week-old baby stayed in their small house closer to their kitchen.
“We meant to make our “dapog” (dirty kitchen) closer to us because we gather around every night as early as 6 pm to eat for us to have light,” Ligal said.
Ligal, one of the beneficiaries of Project TALA, now has ample knowledge on how to control the electricity in his house. Using nails, wires, and clips he can now have three or more lights for his week-old baby and a radio for entertainment.
“Because of solar, we can have lights from 6 pm to 6 am” Ligal added.
Last 2020 TESDA released 100 solar panels for the 1st batch of training in the area and as promised by TESDA Director General Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña, the whole sitio and adjacent sub-villages will be lighted up. It is now a reality for the beneficiaires.
For this year, an additional 650 beneficiaries will undergo Project TALA to accommodate the adjacent sitios of Blit.
Additional programs are on the way to cater to the need of Sitio Blit and other areas surrounding the sitio to prevent another wave of insurgency.
Sitio Blit is one of the 42 sitios of Barangay Ned Lake Sebu, South Cotabato with a total land area of 42,474 hectares and home of Indigenous People in the province.
TESDA 12 will also implement Project TALA to different provinces in the region including the far-flung areas.