BAGUIO CITY — At least 100 residents of Abra and Ifugao provinces will receive free technical-vocational training and starter tool kits under a partnership formalized between the Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE) and Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development, Inc., funded by BPI Foundation Inc., on July 23, 2026.
The Memorandum of Agreement, signed in Baguio City, designates CSITE Ifugao and CSITE Abra campuses as beneficiary sites under Bayan Academy’s BPI Tech-Voc Training Program, which has supported marginalized communities through livelihood-linked skills training since 2018. The partnership is anchored on Republic Act No. 8525, or the Adopt-a-School Act of 1998, which encourages private sector support for public educational institutions.
CSITE Executive Director Daisy C. Bungallon signed on behalf of the institute, while Arthur C. Aguinaldo, Bayan Academy’s Program Director for Employment, signed for the organization. The agreement was witnessed by TESDA-Cordillera Administrative Region (TESDA-CAR) Acting Regional Director Engr. Glenn N. Murphy, Bayan Academy Program Officer Cyra Kaye Tuazon, CSITE Abra Campus Administrator Emmanuel B. Ballesteros, and CSITE Ifugao Campus Administrator Eduardo O. Tamayao.
Under the agreement, each province will train a minimum of 50 beneficiaries, divided between short-term Certificate of Competency or Micro-Credential courses and full National Certificate qualifications. The specific qualifications to be offered will be identified based on the priority needs of each province.
CSITE will deliver the training, competency assessment, and provide the necessary equipment. It will also coordinate with local government units through Community Training and Employment Coordinators for recruitment and venue arrangements. Bayan Academy will screen qualified beneficiaries, fund training supplies and consumables, and provide starter tool kits to help graduates transition into livelihood or self-employment.
ED Bungallon thanked Bayan Academy for choosing CSITE as a partner institution and emphasized that the institute recognizes the importance of the opportunity, especially for families in Abra and Ifugao who stand to benefit. She affirmed CSITE’s commitment to fully implement the program, from coordinating with local government units to ensuring that all training slots are filled by qualified beneficiaries, so that the agreement delivers real impact to communities.
Aguinaldo expressed Bayan Academy’s gratitude to TESDA and CSITE for enabling the partnership and described it as the start of a sustained collaboration. He reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to support the program by funding training requirements and providing starter tool kits that graduates can use for livelihood or self-employment.
ARD Murphy urged both parties to look beyond the ceremonial signing and focus on outcomes. He challenged them to ensure that the partnership results in measurable benefits for the beneficiaries.
The agreement takes effect immediately and remains valid for two years. The partnership aims to expand access to skills training in underserved communities and equip beneficiaries with practical competencies and resources that can support employment, self-employment, or community-based enterprise.
