TACLOBAN CITY — Residents of Eastern Samar may soon have greater access to technical-vocational and postsecondary education after the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill converting the Samar National School of Arts and Trade (SNSAT) in Taft into a polytechnic institute.
House Bill No. 9467 seeks to establish the Eastern Samar Polytechnic Institute (ESPI), which will operate under the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan, a native of Taft, jointly authored the measure.
Gonzales said the proposed institute would provide residents of Taft and neighboring communities with practical and market-relevant skills that could lead to employment, livelihood opportunities and entrepreneurship.
The ESPI will offer TESDA-registered programs, short-term postsecondary courses, undergraduate certificate and diploma programs, and modular training in fields such as industrial technology, tourism and hospitality, agriculture and aquaculture, information technology, automotive servicing, welding, electrical installation and computer servicing.
The programs will be aligned with local and national labor requirements, including skills needed for employment opportunities abroad.
The measure also gives priority to economically disadvantaged students, out-of-school youth, persons with disabilities and members of indigenous communities in admission, scholarship and financial assistance programs.
Under the proposed law, the institute may establish research and technology hubs, technology development farms, extension campuses and mobile training programs to bring technical education and skills training to underserved communities.
Gonzales said the proposed ESPI would help develop a skilled and globally competitive workforce while contributing to the economic development of Eastern Samar.
The bill will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
