VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon (PIA)—Sixteen schools vied for the title and honor as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) kicked off its two-day competition to showcase the schools' technical-vocational and agriculture competencies.
“Bukidnon is Northern Mindanao’s giant food basket. So, during our conference with the Bukidnon Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions Association or BUKTIA, I recommended that agriculture be included in the skills competition to showcase agricultural competencies," TESDA Provincial Director Vicente E. Cruz said.
Hence, this is the first time that farming skills have been included in a provincial competition, he declared.
A total of 48 contenders vied for mastery in 13 categories, particularly in grafting, budding, sprayer calibration, fertilizer computation/formulation, preparation of concoctions, seed broadcasting, electrical installation, welding, automobile technology, cooking, patisserie and confectionery, baking, and restaurant service.
In an interview, BUKTIA President Ruth Acosta said the tech-voc competition held at PSALMS (Paramount School of Arts, Languages, Managements, and Sciences) in Bagontaas, Valencia City on June 22-23 drew a large crowd and received an overwhelming response from students and schools from across the province, as it also opens opportunities for those who have farming skills.
For agricultural crops production, the following championed in various crafts: 1) Grafting-Hiltrudes Villamor (Imelda Agricultural Learning Center); 2) Budding-Asher Lumayag (GT Agricultural Farm); 3) Preparation of Concoctions-Mellie Ortiz (Imelda Agricultural Learning Center); 4) Seeds Broadcasting-Ariel Suetos (Roger and Neneng Agricultural Learning Center); 5) Fertilizer Computation and Formulation-Marjohn Porras (Imelda Agricultural Learning Center); 6) Knapsack Sprayer Calibration-Marjohn Porras (Imelda Agricultural Learning Center)
Similarly, the following topped the competitive list showing mastery in other categories: 1) Electrical Installation-Jan Joseph Gare (San Agustin Institute of Technology); 2) Welding-Arnie Boy Cuevas Maramag Polytechnic School); 3) Cooking-Jaymore Calano (Paramount School of Arts, Languages, Management, and Sciences, Inc.); 4) Baking-Sandara Lumain (STI College Malaybalay); 5) Patisserie and Confectionery-Sandara Lumain (STI College Malaybalay); 6) Restaurant Services-Kenneth Lorenz Bueno (Mindanao Arts and Technological Institute).
Other participating schools were also awarded as ‘runners-up’ in the race.
Seek out opportunities
Efren C. Macario of Agricultural Training Institute (ATI)-10 commended the achievers and urged them to search for entrepreneurial opportunities to make a profit.
"The main reason we take part in skill competitions like this one is to see how much we have learned. As winners, we have better strategies for achieving our goals and objectives in life. With these abilities, we shouldn't stop looking for opportunities and putting in the effort. Otherwise, the skills we have acquired would be wasted,” he emphasized in his speech.
The 16 participating technical-vocational schools include Maramag Polytechnic School; New Nongnongan National High School; Manolo Fortich Technical Skills and Development Center; Paramount School of Arts, Languages, Management, and Sciences, Inc; San Agustin Institute of Technology; Mindanao Arts and Technological Institute (MATI); STI Education Services Group, Inc; GT Agricultural Farm; Balmores Diversified Integrated Farm; Luis-Sesay Farming School; PBAR Agricultural Learning Center; Roger and Neneng Farm; Imelda Agricultural Learning Center; PBA Mindanao Technical Institute Inc; Anpa’s Agricultural Learning Center; Grand Apex Integrated Farm.
