Read the rest of the story here.

The World Bank has suggested two strategies to make the poor feel the benefits of a rising economy. The first is to increase income-generating opportunities for the poor. This may be done by an aggressive effort to attract more businesses, which will open more jobs for the poor.

The foreign lender said enticing more investors would require improving the investment climate and spending more on infrastructure.

The other strategy is to improve human capital. Training Filipinos to meet the labor requirements of investors would help reduce unemployment and, therefore, poverty.  Read the rest of the story here.

We are currently pursuing the incorporation of TESDA training as an integral part of the livelihood program we are developing.   I’ll post more about that as details are available.   PAS firmly believes, as is clear from our mission statement, that when it is possible, we want to equip impoverished Filipinos to be able to provide for themselves.  We are especially interested in any projects that will encourage long-term sustainability and complete solutions to poverty rather than temporary fixes.

MANILA, Philippines—While downsizing the government budget for next year, President Aquino has committed an allocation of some P700 million to fund the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s scholarship program for 2011 even as its new leadership pursues a probe into possible misuse of funds under the past administration, the agency’s chief has bared.

Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva said his agency secured the fund commitment after budget discussions on Monday, when Aquino expressed his support to continue training the unemployed in technical and vocational courses. Read the rest of the story here.

“Essentially, this is basic education and this is for free,” Lacierda said, adding the idea behind the proposal is for high school graduates to have better opportunities for employment even if they decide not to pursue college education.

Part of DepEd’s proposal is the inclusion of vocational courses to afford high school students with “practical livelihood skills.”

According to Lacierda, any cost in the implementation of the program will be shouldered by the government. Read the rest of the story here.

Hello Mr. Troutman. I am Weslee, I hope you can still remember me. I’m one of those people whom the Phil Aid Society, thru you, is helping.  I just want to tell you personally my heartfelt gratitude with all the help that you are extending. You really are  God’s gift not only to me but to my family. You don’t know how much help you are actually doing. I promise to do everything that I can do to make my studies even better.

May God always bless you and your family. Thank you very much, Sir…

Below is a picture of me, Weslee, and Fr. Aris Maniago, who serves on our Board of Trustees.