Category: Technology

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said one-third of technical and vocational education training (TVET) graduates over the past year are scholars of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). During his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos on Monday said that since last year more than a million Filipinos graduated from TVET. “We will not let a student’s financial constraints be a hindrance to education,” he said. Marcos noted that the government continues to exhaust all efforts “to keep young people away from the sinister influences in the “dark corners of society” by making available to them formal schooling, alternative learning, non-diploma courses, or TVET. He added that the government has activated social safety nets, such as skills development training and youth employment programs. Data from TESDA showed there were 1,248,660 who enrolled in TVET courses from July 2022 to May 2023. A total of 1,135,783 of them graduated during the same period. TESDA has been urging the public to avail of its scholarship program. Aside from allowance, scholars are also provided with tool kits that they could use should they decide to pursue a livelihood after training. Scholarships offered earlier this year focus on the following priority sectors: agriculture, construction, health, education, tourism, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, IT-BPM, creative industries and energy. These include popular TESDA courses such as: Driving NC II, Bread and Pastry Production NC II, Caregiving NC II, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II, Organic Agriculture Production NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC I, Cookery NC II, Contact Center Services NC II, and Food and Beverage Services NC II. Scholarship slots are being offered year-round. Last year, some 282,818 scholars graduated from various courses last year, and TESDA certified 123,331 workers. The President, meanwhile, also pointed out that training is necessary to ease the transition of those whose jobs would be affected by the shift to digitalization, and that these are now included in the curricula and programs offered by TESDA and other government agencies. “TVET continues to prove itself to be an empowering educational intervention,” Marcos said. Marcos, likewise, mentioned that TESDA is among the agencies that supports the needy, through its TVET for Social Equity plan. Based on TESDA’s website, this plan and the TVET for Global Competitiveness, offer more training services to urban and rural poor, farmers, fisher folks, indigenous people, women, rebel returnees/combatants, drug dependents, repatriated overseas Filipino workers, out-of-school youths, micro, small and medium enterprises, family enterprises, and local government units.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s book on the military policy and defence strategy of Vietnam in the new period reflects his consistent thought about the leadership and directions over the national safeguarding, many experts and researchers have said.

The recently released book, with its title translated as “Some issues about the military policy, national defence strategy during the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnam Fatherland in the new period”, comprises 39 articles, speeches, and interviews of General Secretary Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission.

The first section, with 21 articles, speeches and interviews, focuses on the building of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) into a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern military in the new period.

The second, with 18 articles and speeches, is about the building of lean, strong and modernity-oriented forces of the army to fulfill requirements and tasks in all circumstances.

Meanwhile, the third is reserved for a writing by Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, former member of the Party Central Committee, former member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Board, and former Deputy Minister of National Defence. It affirmed the Party General Secretary and Secretary of the Central Military Commission is a leader with a dialectical mindset and strategic vision on the formation of the military policy and defence strategy for safeguarding the socialist Vietnam.

Assoc. Prof. and Dr Pham Van Linh, Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, held that the Party chief’s leadership and directions shown in the book help clarify the development of the Party’s theoretical thinking about the military policy and defence strategy.

Maj. Gen. Vu Cuong Quyet, Director of the Institute for Defence Strategy, noted keeping peace is a sacred value of the task of national safeguarding. A core point and breakthrough in General Secretary Trong’s thinking about the military policy and defence strategy is that protecting national independence and self-reliance must be connected with keeping peace. This is a creative and unique thought on military and defence, with keeping a peaceful environment being the consistent target./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Education cooperation is an important pillar of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung has said.

He made the remarks at a recent meeting with professors and students of the University of Virginia in Virginia state during his working visit to the university.

The ambassador also had a discussion with the university’s professors on opportunities to further foster education cooperation between the university and education facilities of Vietnam, especially in the exchange of students.

Pham Quang Hung, who has taught at the UAV’s Department of Physics since 1982, said professors at the UAV appreciated Vietnamese students for their good abilities, diligence and dynamics, a very necessary quality for the field of research.

Stephen D. Mull, vice provost for global affairs at the UVA and former acting undersecretary for political affairs at the US Department of State, said he wants to develop cooperation opportunities between the UAV and universities in Vietnam.

According to Ted Osius, former US Ambassador to Vietnam and Chairman of the US-ASEAN Business Council, Vietnam currently has the 5th highest number of students in the US, which brings many benefits to both countries, including economic benefits. He said cooperation in education could help create strong changes in the two countries’ comprehensive collaboration in the coming time.

Established in 1819, the University of Virgina (UVA) is a public university. Many Vietnamese professors and approximately 170 Vietnamese students are currently studying and working at the university./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

About 90 percent of the 6.8 million target population in Central Visayas have already registered for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), the regional official of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Friday. Engineer Ariel Florendo, PSA-7 regional director, said that while they have almost covered the 6.8 million individuals in the region for the PhilSys ID, the agency continues conducting on-site and off-site registration. The on-site registration is still ongoing at the regional office on Colon Street while registration desks in malls continue to do outright processing of the ID, he said. PSA-7 personnel also conduct mobile registrations in the barangays, especially for the geographically-challenged areas in Central Visayas where residents could hardly travel to the Poblacion for processing. Registration for the PhilSys ID only allows those individuals aged 5 and above. ‘For the 4 years old and below, we are not yet (registering them) because of a change in their (physical) profile,’ Florendo said. ‘I urge everyone to register. There’s nothing to lose if you apply for the PhilSys ID. Instead, you will have a lot of benefits. For example, if you come to our office to get your PSA-certified records of birth, you don’t need to apply online if you have your national ID,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute (LJI) within the National University of Laos, supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ASEAN Japan Center, Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) Vientiane Office, Department of SME Promotion (DOSMEP), and Ministry of Technology and Communications (MTC), launched the “LJI SUSU Scale-Up Batch 2”, under the Business Development Programme in Vientiane on July 14.

“LJI SUSU Scale-Up, introduced by LJI, is one of the unique programmes launched in recent years with JICA’s assistance in response to the changing needs of the business community,” said Mr. Toshio Nagase, Chief Representative of JICA Laos Office.

LJI SUSU Scale-Up was designed to accelerate the growth of participating companies and to improve the Lao society. The project welcomes young entrepreneurs, SMEs, and new businesses from large corporations that are trying to implement innovative business models through trial and error.

Dr. Phonekeo Chanthamaly, Director of LJI, explained that SUSU is derived from the word Start-up and Scale-up. Pronunciation of “SUSU” means “fight” in the Lao language, reflecting the efforts by the Lao businesses under difficult and rapidly changing situations in the post-COVID time.

“By supporting the efforts of these Lao companies, LJI SUSU aims to create model companies that promote “Made in Laos” products and services in Laos and foreign markets, and those which embody innovative business initiatives that solve social issues,” he said.

Financial

Opportunities for financing and investment will be offered through pitch events and business meetings, such as Business Plan Competition. Supported by experts, the participants will brush up the documents that can be used to access finance.

Networking and Information

Networking and learning opportunities with successful entrepreneurs and pioneers, along with interaction with other participants, are offered to accelerate learning and raise motivation among the participants. With the support of experts, the participants will build and expand their network with potential business partners, including investors.

Mini-lectures and Mentoring

Practical advice and guidance from experts in multiple fields will be provided. Under the guidance of experts, the participants will create innovative business models and convincing pitch documents.

LJI SUSU Scale-Up batch 2 launching event was attended by Dr. Oudom Phonekhamphx, President of the National University of Laos, Dr. Bounpheng Sibounheung, Director General of Department of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion, Mr. Yasushi Kikuchi, General Director of Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) Vientiane office.

The event was attended with the startup and SMEs eco-system players such as Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SME Service Centre, Lao ICT Commerce Association (LICA), Lao SME Association, commercial banks, governmental officials, and donor organizations.

Any companies, young entrepreneurs, young people, students who are interested in taking part in LJI SUSU are encouraged to follow the registration guidance and related activity update at LJI’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LJILaos.

Source: Lao News Agency

Full face-to-face graduation and moving-up ceremonies in public schools in Antique made the events memorable for learners and their parents, according to an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) from this province. Dr. Evelyn Remo, Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Antique chief of school governance and operations, said in an interview Tuesday that graduation and moving up ceremonies for 47,130 graduates and completers from Kindergarten to Grade 12 enrolled in 535 public schools in the province were from July 10-14, 2023. ‘The graduation and moving up ceremonies this year are done face-to-face with the parents and other family members already allowed to witness it,’ she said. She said that just like the pre-pandemic time, families could celebrate the educational milestone of their learners unlike in the past two school years when there were restrictions. Schools have the discretion whether or not they will still require facemasks or to observe other Covid-19 health protocols depending on cases in their communities, she added. ‘Graduation and moving up ceremonies in Antique have returned to normal now,’ Remo said. She said there were schools with big number of graduates holding a series of ceremonies to lessen the gathering of people. Remo added that graduates are resilient so even if they did not have face-to-face classes in the past two years, they learned through blended learning either online or in modular mode. ‘We are celebrating because of our learners’ resiliency despite the challenges of the pandemic,’ Remo said as she conveyed her congratulations to the graduates and completers

Source: Philippines News agency