At least 200 members of household-beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Batangas Province underwent free call center training to prepare them for possible employment in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. The said training is conducted through the training for work scholarship program of AMA Computer Learning Center (CLC), Inc.

The beneficiaries are all 18 years old and above, at least high school graduate and have completed requirements including birth certificates and Form 137.

The 14-day training is conducted in nine clusters in selected areas in Batangas Province with participants coming from 32 municipalities including Nasugbu, Calaca, Lemery, Cuenca, Batangas City, Lipa City and Tanauan City. Nasugbu and Calaca clusters have completed training as early as November. As of December, other classes are still ongoing.

According to Batangas Provincial Link Rosemarie Alvez, the DSWD started lobbying for the said training program for Pantawid beneficiaries as part of the agency’s interventions to provide opportunities for the poor families to earn regularly and support their respective needs.

After the completion of the training, the AMA-CLC will endorse graduates to their partner BPO companies.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program invests on the health, nutrition and education of children zero to 18 years old belonging to qualified poor households through the provision of conditional cash grants. The program also provides various interventions such as employment facilitation and skills enhancement to household-beneficiaries to improve their living condition and achieve self-sufficiency.***