Talisay pioneers ICT program in Metro 3rd

AS IT bids to become the first “Green Smart City” in the Third District and also in the province, Talisay City launched on November 11 with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Office of Congressman Francisco Benitez, the digitaljobsPH Technical Training, a nation-wide DICT program designed to create ICT-enabled jobs in the countryside.

DICT provincial officer Engineer Romeo Tome cited the Talisay run as the first tripartite program in the country where the Department partners with a local government unit (LGU) and the Congressional District Office.

Third District Representative Francisco Benitez initiated a collaborative consultation and coordination with the DICT and the LGUs in the District, noting the invaluable opportunities that the program will provide especially for socio-economically disadvantaged sectors.

Talisay City assistant administrator Ismael Penado, representing the city government welcomed the challenge to be the first to respond to the call for participation in the program, and assured program partners and trainees of Talisay’s full support and assistance.

Twenty trainees from various Talisay sectors who qualified after a rigid application process, will undergo a six-day face-to-face training and a 21-day online campaign to prepare trainees for ICT jobs or clients.

Shayne Mae Fenis, brand and content strategist who is lead trainer for the module on virtual assistance said the program will not only increase ICT technical skills but help ensure hireability, promote local businesses and increase economic opportunities in the community.

Talisay Executive Assistant Dr. Mae Llamas who spearheads preparations for the program underscored the innovations that were adopted in the Talisay implementation, taking advantage of the existing local talent pool and best practices of the city’s ICT unit.

The 20 program participants are set to start the virtual assistance module tomorrow (November 12) with December 12 as assessment period and graduation has been targeted for December 13.

The DICT digitaljobsPH program was started in 2017 in 95 locations across the country, producing 1,832 Online Filipino workers in 2018 and targets 96 more locations nation-wide this year.

In Negros Occidental, the program has been started in San Carlos City, Kabankalan City, Cadiz City and Escalante. (PR)