Providing financial assistances to indigents sounds good and benevolent. Despite our intent, however, we would need to be aware that it might sometimes promote their laziness and dependency.
Instead, RIMM has sought to provide vocational training opportunities so that they can acquire skills to earn their own bread and butter. Luckily an excellent automobile mechanic in town, Danny, who has 15 years of overseas experience in the middle east agreed to provide free actual field training.
Six willing candidates in barangay Mangas II, Alfonso, Cavite immediately grabbed this opportunity and started on training in the following week three by three. Since they still have to earn income through their regular work which is selling of balots (boiled duck eggs) and chicharon (fried pork skin snack) in the afternoon, their training hours are designated in the morning only.
Danny grew up in poverty as well and he understands the predicaments of the indigents settled from a poor region. Danny provides transportation and shares meals with them on top of the free on the job training, none of which TESDA courses provides.
Danny’s auto repair shop is accredited by DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) as a class A facility and he can provide certificates of completion when they complete certain period of training. In fact, Danny told us that some mechanics trained at his facility got overseas job opportunities or higher positions such as chief mechanic.
