RELIGIOUS OF THE VIRGIN MARY - TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAM

The RVM TTP (Technical Training Program) is a Community-based-skilled Program in St. Rita’s College of Balingasag, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, recognized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and patterned from the Marist Technical Training Program (MTTP) of Notre Dame of Dadiangas University in General Santos City. The Project is funded by *MISEREOR of Germany through Mother Ignacia Development Foundation, Inc. (MIDFI) founded by the RVM Congregation.

The Program was conceived along with the RVM Congregation’s mission on its educational thrust for the poor unemployed young people especially the Out-of-School Youth (OSY’s), Pilipino Pamilya Pantawid Program (4P’s), Indigent People (IP’s) between the ages eighteen to forty (18-40) years old who are willing and are interested to undergo technical- vocational training to address employability and promote self-employment. The RVMTTP as a community-based program has an innovative approach as it capitalizes on the mother institution’s technical resources and services. It also established links with the business and industry sectors as partner-laboratories in the honing of the trainees’ skills through the programs that are being offered. Through these linkages with the business and industries’ owners and managers including government offices that collaborated and cooperated with the RVM TTP Office, the technical trainings and exposures of the trainees become avenues for them to master their skills while at the same time gain access and exposures on probable search for future jobs and employment.

The main point of RVMTTP program is focused on its on-the-job training (OJT) of the trainees. Competent instructions and supervision makes the OJT very effective for the training of the unskilled trainees. All courses are of ten months duration. Trainees are assigned in different training sites which are the technical shops, business enterprises and government offices from Monday to Thursday every week for a minimum of four hours per session. Trainees attend functional academic classes at St. Rita’s College of Balingasag every one and a half-day a week from Friday to Saturday noon and the theory/actual classes on Saturday afternoon in their respective courses with the academic mentors.

Tools are provided to the trainees during their trainings. The RVM TTP Office do not pay the shop owners for the time and services spent during the exposures and training of the trainees. However, in a form of token, the Office provides them with some important equipment that will become part of their shop’s additional acquisition that will benefit other trainees and their business operations.

On its first operations- May 1999, the Mother Ignacia Skills Training Program (MISTP) was headed by S. Maria Juanita J. Coruña, RVM, the Program Director, with the three (3) program staff: Mr. Roy Andap, (Program Coordinator), Mr. Regner Galimba, (OJT Supervisor) and Ms. Roselle Vega, (Secretary/Bookkeeper), managed and supervised the program. During this school year there were 35 pioneering graduates in the different courses offered: Auto-Diesel Mechanic, Auto-Electricity, Dressmaking, Radio Electronic, Industrial Electricity and Welding and Steel Fabrication.

In the School Year 2003-2006, the former RVM TTP Director was transferred to another region and S. Maria Paula G. Adaoag, RVM, took over her place. With the three staff, the program went on training and serving the good number of trainees annually.  The graduates were given assistance for job placement by the Office and recommendations were readily available for sure employment. Most of the trainees were able to get decent jobs and were able to support their families.

The year 2006 brought in another new RVM TTP Director - S. Maria Adelaida C. Huiso, RVM. During her term, in the 9^th year of RVM TTP, in May 2008, Mother Ignacia Skills Training Program (MISTP) was renamed: Religious of the Virgin Mary Technical Training Program (RVMTTP).On this year, the program has the following staff: Mr. Robert Beronio (Program Coordinator), Mr. RegnerGalimba (OJT Supervisor) and Ms. Roselle Vega (Secretary/Bookkeeper). The program offered courses on Automotive Mechanic, Automotive Electricity, Arts and Printing, Building Wiring Electricity, Electric Arc Welding, Plumbing and Refrigeration and Air-conditioning. Along with the progress that the program experienced, it continuously received the services of some of the SRCB faculty and other part- time trainers that generously rendered their time and services.

In May 2012 –April 2015, there was a change of leadership in the program and this was headed by a new Program Director S. Maria Marietta N. Escañan, RVM, with the staff: Mr. Regner V. Galimba(Program Coordinator), Mr. Reynan M. Gayramon(OJT Supervisor) and Ms. Ailyn S. Pelonio(Secretary/Bookkeeper).The following year 2015-2016, Mr. Regner V. Galimba resigned and he was replaced by Mr. Reynan M. Gayramon, and a new OJT Supervisor was hired in the person of Mr. Arniel S. Ciriaca.

School Year June 2016 – May 2017, the RVM Congregation appointed  another Program Director in the person of S. Maria Anecita C. Navaja, RVM, because the former was transferred to the RVM Archives at the RVM Mother House Complex. It was also during this year that the MIDFI Executive Director, S. Maria Helen S. Rojas, RVM, whose base was in Northern Mindanao Mother Ignacia National Social Action Center (MINSAC) in Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, was actively involved in the activities of the RVM TTP Program. This time a new Secretary/Bookkeeper was hired: Ms. Merle B. Labadan due to the latter’s resignation.

School Year 2017 – May 2018, the RVM TTP Program Coordinator Mr. Reynan M. Gayramon resigned and S. Maria Anecita, RVM appointed Mr. Arniel S. Ciriaca as the Program Coordinator, with Ms. Merle B. Labadan as the OJT Supervisor and hired a new Secretary/Bookkeeper, Ms. Keanee Bee M. Ariata.

During this year, the RVM TTP building was renovated; comfort rooms were relocated at the back of the building and office equipment were added including the installation of air-condition in the office. The adjacent ground was structured; pavers were laid on the ground to help absorbed the rain water during rainy days. Kiosks were constructed as waiting or meeting areas for the students. In June 2018 – May 2019, a new Secretary/Bookkeeper was hired- Ms. Lourdes D. Redera since the latter resigned. The following year, another new staff Mr. John Kenneth Valerio was hired as the OJT Supervisor to take the place of Ms. Merle Labadan who resigned for a new work venture.

The School Year 2019-2020marked the RVM TTP Program on its 21^styear of unwavering service to the out-of-school-youth (OSY) and the unemployed. On this year a special   group of IPs (Indigent People) from Linabu, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental comprised the trainees under the Automotive Servicing (AS), Housekeeping and SMAW programs. The SRCB Personnel Club assisted them in their transportation expenses. The Office Staff: Mr. Arniel S.Ciriaca, Mr. John Kenneth Valerio and Ms. Lourdes Redera with S. Maria Anecita, RVM and S. Maria Helen, RVM perseveringly managed and supported the RVM TTP program. The Program offer migrated courses recognized by TESDA: Automotive Servicing, Beauty Care, Computer Systems Servicing, Electrical Installation and Maintenance, Food and Beverage Services, Wellness and Therapy Massage (masahe/hilot), Housekeeping, Motorcycle Small Engine Servicing, Plumbing and Shielded Metal Arc Welding.

The trainees under the RVM TTP Program normally were led to industrial skills certificates (diploma) after ten months of formal training and with TESDA certificates under the assistance of the program for them to formally ascertain that the course has been officially recognized and certified by this government office. During graduation, they also received simple equipment that they can make use of to start their work venture.

The skilled programs were easy to integrate since they have been designed to help the trainees learn fast, and most of the programs are more practical than theory. Furthermore, the Office took a considerable amount of time making them easy for the trainees to learn. While the results indicate that the training generally led to increased skills development and improved well-being, the program had much more positive effects to almost all of those who graduated hence they are now self-employed or employed in industries, malls and shops or hired as over-seas workers.

The presence of the out-of-school-youth and the poor as well as their desires to find decent jobs to earn and support their families for their daily bread and the strong demand for responsible well-trained skilled workers that will fill-in the work force of the community and country as a whole including the over-seas demands had been always an overwhelming but worthy responsibility for the management of the RVM TTP. It has been a tremendous challenge for the Management to provide sufficient relevant facilities and quality training as well as qualified and competent manpower to cope with the expectation of delivering quality RVM Technical Training Program for the community.

However, notwithstanding challenges, with the support of MISEREOR Germany through MIDFI, the RVM TTP administrators and collaborators to the program, in God’s “amazing grace” must remain faithful and consistent in the fulfillment of their responsibilities, especially on the values formation and Catholic evangelizing mission. Hence, in the RVM TTP, all desires and plans should always be towards the accomplishment of God’s Holy Will for the benefit of developing the trainees holistically not only skillfully in order to find meaning in their lives in today’s world.

Legend:         

*MISEREOR is the official aid framework of the Catholic Church in Germany – since 1962, the German government is obligated under German law to provide financial support for the development work of church-aid organizations.