MANILA, Philippines — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has allotted P5 million worth of scholarship packages for victims of the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Negros Oriental, TESDA’s top official revealed Saturday.

TESDA Director-General Joel Villanueva said the scholarship program aims to provide alternative livelihood to at least 475 workers and students in Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental, who have been displaced by the earthquake-triggered landslide in their area.

“We condole with the victims of the earthquake. We hope these scholarships will give them hope and encourage them to rise above this calamity,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva said these scholarship programs will include 200 slots for metal arc wielding, and 50 slots each for carpentry, masonry, commercial cooking, and enterprise information management.

It will also have 25 slots each for plumbing, payloader operation, and backhoe operation.

Villanueva said TESDA has also deployed two contingents of TESDA graduates in Negros Oriental to assist in the repair and rehabilitation of Guihulngan City.

“At least two teams composed of experts in welding and metal fabrication services and home repair services were immediately dispatched to go to affected areas and provide services to those who need help. More groups will be organized if the need arises,” Villanueva said.

Meanwhile, the TESDA official also issued an order to its 493 TESDA schools and training centers in Region 6 and 7, particularly those which served as evacuation facilities, to conduct an inspection of their facilities to ensure their operation could resume in the coming weeks.