Posted at 05/04/2011 5:31 PM | Updated as of 05/04/2011 5:58 PM
Learning centers demand payment for services to PGMA scholars
MANILA, Philippines - The ghosts of the past are now haunting the present leadership of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the form of demand letters seeking compensation for almost a billion pesos worth of services rendered to scholar-beneficiaries of the "Pangulong Gloria Scholarship."
Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director-General, revealed that they are now being confronted by different learning centers that provided trainings to scholars of TESDA under the Arroyo administration.
Villanueva said that during the time of former Director-General Augusto Syjuco, TESDA issued vouchers that were used as scholarship certificates to learning centers. But 2 years later, the learning centers are still unpaid.
The TESDA leadership said payments were not made because the agency could not disburse money for the simple reason that there was no appropriation set for the vouchers.
"Kung maglalabas kami ng perang pambayad, that would be malversation dahil walang appropriation. But on the other hand, TESDA must fulfill its obligation," said Villanueva.
Villanueva described Syjuco's action as similar to estafa.
Among the training centers which sent demand letters to TESDA are:
- St. John Bosco, Quezon City
- Christ the King, Muntinlupa
- Association of Private Techincal Vocational Institution, ALbay
- GIS Institute of Education Learning Center
- Destiny Institute, Tacloban
- Philbest
- Asiantouch
- E & J Security Academy Inc, Quezon City
- Manila South Institute of Management and Arts, San Pedro, Laguna
- Asia World Skills Development and Training Center Inc, Paranaque
- Pilgrim Christian College, Cagayan de Oro
- RRLS-ICT Academy, Iloilo
"Sinabi naman na may budget talaga ang PGS o Pangulong Gloria Scholarship so di na namin naisip na mababayaran kami o hindi kasi alam namin talagang mababayaran kasi yun yung talagang galing sa circular ng TESDA," said Boribor.
TESDA is now trying to find ways of resolving the issue. According to Villanueva, he has already discussed the matter with President Benigno Aquino III.
Options being discussed are the possibility of drawing funds from the General Appropriations or from the President's Social Fund.
Syjuco is presently the congressional representative of Iloilo's 2nd District. ABS-CBN News tried to contact Syjuco for comment thru text messages and calls to his cellphone but he did not respond.
Requests for comment were also coursed thru Syjuco's office in the House of Representatives. A staff member said they will refer the matter to the Syjuco's chief of staff.
Maybe, it was an another corruption done by previous administration. Poor thing that the new leadership of TESDA is now haunted by the ghost of the past. Good luck to the new administration.Hope they could solve it and stop the chain of corruption and credits.
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