Friday, March 14, 2008 Tesda to offer English lessons to Bb. Pilipinas winners
THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) is offering to provide English proficiency lessons to the current winners of the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant to help prepare them for their competition abroad.
Tesda chief Augusto Syjuco said English language is one of those subjects that have long been neglected despite its importance and the agency now has 35 existing language skills institutes with English as the primary language that is being taught.
He cited the case of Bb. Pilipinas-World Janina San Miguel whom may avail of a 120-hour crash course in English under Tesda, if she wants, to help prepare her for her competition.
"More or less they would be prepared, not only as to what to answer, but also to prepare to what questions that can be given to them," he said.
San Miguel, a mass communication student at the University of the East, during the question and answer portion of the Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant, was asked about the role that her family played for her as a candidate of the contest.
She initially answered with my family's role for me is so important because they was the, they're, they was the one whose very..." but she was unable to continue and laughed it off before apologizing.
She then explained that she was only 17 years old and that she never expected to make it to the "tough 10." She later answered that her family is "the most important persons in my life".
Syjuco said he was not disappointed with the outcome of the pageant's question and answer portion as it only showed that of the Top 10 contestants, only one stood out for not being fluent in English. He said this means that they have only a few contestants to assist.
He added that providing a free crash course to future beauty pageant contestants would be discussed by Tesda with the organizers of the contests like Bb. Pilipinas.
"I will suggest to the organizers of the Bb. Pilipnas contest next year, that we could conduct a crash (course) or two. We could set aside a full English module for them before they would go up on stage," he said. (JMR/Sunnex)
