Argonza seeks TESDA certification

A lawyer of Argonza Aesthetics and Dermopigentation Academy said this week that they have sought registration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to pave the way for the resumption of AADA's operations.

"It has just been a week since the application for registration was submitted but it was accepted right away because we already completed all the requirements for registration," Atty. Hyacinth Salig-Bathan said.

AADA was raided last 12 August by the National Bureau of Investigation and criminal charges were filed against its proprietor, Wenie Argonza, for allegedly operating a training center for aesthetic and dermatological procedures without the necessary permit from TESDA.

Reports said the center based in a Makati City condominium is believed to have had hundreds of graduates who allegedly shelled out P100,000 each for lectures and clinical training.

The NBI said the charge against Argonza pertained only to a violation of Batas Pambansa 232, or the Education Act of 1982, which AADA is seeking to remedy by seeking TESDA accreditation.

"Although AADA is still in the process of registering its programs with TESDA, it has been accredited with CPD UK since 2020," Salig-Bathan said.

She was referring to the Continuing Professional Development accreditation program recognized abroad.

Argonza, meanwhile, clarified she never misrepresented herself as a medical doctor and that AADA never operated as a medical clinic doing invasive and/or injectable procedures.

She also denied charging AADA students P100,000 to P200,000 each as training fees.

"The absence of a proper TESDA registration was the cause of our operation and we have not found any other violation," said Rolan Fernandez, the NBI agent in charge of the operation.