Davao Light and Power Company

A simple ceremony marked the conclusion of the first batch of TESDA NC II Training on Baking and Pastry for the new Davao bakers. Held last January 30 at Grand Men Seng Hotel, 25 successful training participants were confirmed as graduates and awarded the National Certificate (NC) II. This livelihood skills training is sponsored by Aboitiz Foundation in partnership with Davao Light and Power Company, TESDA-Davao, and Philippine Baking Institute.

Armed with their acquired knowledge and skills, these new bakers from the three good standing partner cooperatives namely Davao Ecoland Small Entrepreneurs Multipurpose Cooperative (DESEMULCO), Association of Differently Abled Persons (ADAP) Multipurpose Cooperative, and Sunshine Farmers and Community Multipurpose Cooperative are now ready to take it to the next level of realizing their dreams of baking for the “sweeter” future of their families and their communities.

The journey that they have undergone to complete the intensive training, pass the accreditation process, and finally get the NC II Certification proving their competence to get employment or establish their own baking business is not a walk in the park. For 10 consecutive Saturdays, they were required to attend the baking class and were tasked to produce actual output for the day ranging from simple bread and rolls to cake baking, decoration, and presentation.

On the graduation day, the training graduates proudly received their NC II Certificates. They requested to wear graduation toga as most of them were not given opportunity to go to college and did not experience formal graduation rites.

Ms. Margarita Pulleda, Chairperson of DESEMULCO and one of the graduates, shared her experiences during the training. She recalled that most of the participants didn’t have the opportunity to graduate and get any certification and that wearing a toga and having a graduation ceremony is a dream come true. She said that they will all carry the learnings and skills to their new journey. And that, they expressed their sincerest gratitude to Aboitiz Foundation as it continues to support and give opportunities to all its partner cooperatives. For them, Aboitiz Foundation will always be their inspiration to continue to improve their lives.

Another inspiring story was about the members of ADAP MPC. Most of the members of this coop are physically challenged. This did not hinder their determination to finish the course and pass the accreditation. For the whole duration of the training, they were required to stand almost the whole day in crutches and actively participate in the activities. Now, ADAP already started their coop baking business with the support of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Director Nestor Tabada, TESDA-Davao Provincial Director, mentioned during his message that the NC II ensures the productivity, quality, and global competitiveness of those who holds the certificate. The graduates are now able to either get local or international employment or establish their own bakery business.

On her message for the graduates, Aboitiz Foundation First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maribeth Marasigan said that seeing its partners succeed inspires them more to continue what they are doing and help more people help themselves.