Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino welcomes the appointment of former Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption Representative Joel Villanueva’s appointment as the new director general of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority(TESDA).

“Villanueva’s appointment is a good head start to lead TESDA as one of the agencies of the government engaging on education, especially for the marginalized youth,” says Palatino.

TESDA, which focuses on the technical and vocational courses was established to “encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the country’s human resources” according to Republic Act 7796.

Palatino cited that of the education agencies in the country have been linked to numerous issues on corruption given that the funds on education is second among the highest appropriations in the national budget.

“Most out-of-school youth opt to take up courses provided by TESDA as an alternative for them to the costly formal schooling which is why it plays an important role to not let the marginalized youth be fully left behind. With Villanueva’s appointment, we look forward that that TESDA will function as an education agency that will not be smeared with issues on corruption given his years-long advocacy against corruption,” adds the youth solon.

Former TESDA director general Augusto Syjuco, an Arroyo ally, was the first Cabinet member charged for grave misconduct in 2008 for using TESDA’s Php 9.2 million funds for the printing his book “Salabat for the Soul.”

Palatino added “We hope that Villanueva will ensure that corruption cases will pursue against Syjuco. It is important that the former administration must be accountable for their sins to the youth whom they committed plunder with.”

“With this, we hope the TESDA will provide more scholarships so that youth from the countryside will be empowered and gain access to work and education as a ladder for them to pursue college,” ends Palatino. ###