SHFC, TESDA provide skills training, livelihood
Beneficiaries of the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) will gain access to specialized skills training and livelihood programs following a formal partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
SHFC president and CEO Federico Laxa and TESDA director general and Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on Thursday in Taguig City to formalize the inter-agency collaboration.
“This is a momentous occasion not only for us but also for our thousands of beneficiaries,” Laxa said. “As directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we want our programs to be more transformative and responsive to the needs of our beneficiaries.”
The agreement follows a memorandum of undestanding signed earlier in the week between the SHFC and the Philippine Reclamation Authority to explore a vertical housing project in Metro Manila.
Laxa cited that the partnership supports directives from Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling to expand ancillary services beyond housing units and land titles.
The pilot phase of the partnership will benefit approximately 150 families belonging to the Megaville 2 Homeowners Association under the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program, a modality aligned with the administration’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program.
Benitez stressed TESDA’s mandate to deliver vocational education directly to resettlement communities.
Qualified beneficiaries will have access to a variety of technical and vocational courses designed to enhance employability and encourage entrepreneurship. Available programs range from traditional trades such as automotive servicing, bread and pastry production, dressmaking, bartending, and plumbing to digital competencies including virtual assistant services, data analytics, and social media content creation.
SHFC officials said the initiative aims to provide holistic community development, equipping families with the economic tools needed to achieve long-term financial stability.