Daily Tribune
Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian, Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, along with Philippine Railways Institute Undersecretary Cesar Chavez, on Friday signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the Academic Partnership between DOTr, PRI and Valenzuela Technological College.
It was followed by the unveiling of the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railways scale model exhibit stationed at the center of the Valenzuela City Hall.
Gatchalian said it is an effort to bolster the learning opportunities for the students of ValTech, that he pushed to forged an academic partnership with DoTr through the PRI.
"This collaboration was intended to broaden the curriculum and practices for engineering courses at ValTech, through the support and expertise of PR," the mayor said.
A clause in the memorandum of agreement stated that the partnership was established "in furtherance of its vision to offer advanced programs in the field of Engineering, which will meet the demands of a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy."
Further, the city also pursues offering railway-related vocational courses of the Valenzuelanos through collaboration with the DoTr, as a means of enhancing the students' qualification for employment in the industry.
The scope of areas of cooperation includes Academe-Industry Linkage, Students Internship Program or On-the-Job Training, Faculty/Student training and seminars, and Skill certification through the DoTr Philippine Railways Institute. Furthermore, the new campus of ValTech in Barangay Parada is slated to open this year.
Leading the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement were Gatchalian, Bautista, and Chavez, PRI Undersecretary Annelie Lontoc, Assistant SecretaryJorjette Aquino, LRTA Administrator Atty. Hernand Cabrera, Atty. Celeste Laute representing PNR, ValTech Trustee Ramon Lopez, ValTech president Dr. Yolanda Gadon, and Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja and Council.
