SSS, TESDA Bataan sign agreement on DTS membership

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The Social Security System (SSS) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Bataan signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on SSS membership of Dual Training System (DTS) trainees in the province on Friday at SSS Balanga Branch, this city.

SSS was represented by its executives Division Head, Luzon Central Luzon Division Vice President Vilma Agapito, Luzon Group Senior Vice President Josie Magana, Professional and Informal Sectors Department Assistant Vice President Noel Coyupan, Balanga Branch Head Joel Villafuerte, and Mariveles Branch Head Jordan Herrera in the MOA signing. TESDA Bataan was represented by its OIC Provincial Director Grace Castillo.

“The partnership will also be done in other areas in the country as there are those who already approached us like in Cebu but we will first observe its implementation in a quarter year to see if there is still fine tuning to be made”, pointed out Magana.

“There is already an Implementing Rules and Regulations for this partnership between SSS and TESDA”, said Agapito.

For her part Castillo said, “A resolution has been adopted by the Provincial TESDA Committee endorsing the partnership at the regional and national levels”. She also said there are more or less 6,000 DTS trainees in the province who will benefit from the program.

“The program is being discussed with TESDA higher ups for the possibility of making it a policy to be implemented nationwide”, the TESDA Bataan provincial director also earlier disclosed.

Herrera pointed out that their target is to make all TESDA DTS trainees in the country SSS members. “DTS trainees have income and they will be registered as self-employed employees”, he explained.

DTS is a training modality implemented by TESDA that combines theoretical and practical training. It is called dual training because learning takes place alternately in two venues: the school or training center and the company or workshop.

Herrera said SSS is working to expand its membership particularly among the informal sectors of the society.

In Bataan, tricycle operators and drivers, members of homeowners associations, some barangays, LGU job order employees, vendors, and inmates have become members of the social security through the diligent effort of SSS Bataan officers.