Isuzu's P130 million training center to open in Tacloban

October 24, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY-The P130 million Auto Mechanic Training Center funded by the world’s largest automakers – Isuzu Motors will formally open November 18 at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) regional office here.

Juan Sabulao, TESDA regional director said that the facility, which is the first of its kind in the country, is equipped with automatic transmission vehicles, trucks, diesel engines, gasoline engines and other training tools.

The center will be open to all poor but deserving students nationwide. Isuzu firm has tied up with the non-government organization Plan Philippines to identify trainees that would avail scholarship that will be financed by Isuzu in the next five years.

“The project will cover full support of living and educational fee for trainees, construction of dormitory to house the trainees while they complete their courses, advice for curriculum development and supply of training facilities and equipment,” Sabulao added.

He said that they have already started listing trainees for the first batch who are residents of economically depressed area supported by Plan Philippines initiatives. TESDA also tied up with the Department of Education to augment its alternative learning system program.

Plan Philippines and TESDA agreed to collaborate in developing a technical education program that seeks to produce top-class automotive technicians.

“We are happy to have this center in the region. This is part of Isuzu’s corporate social responsibility to help out the poor in the country,” Sabulao said in a news conference.

A day before the opening on November 18, 2008, top Isuzu executives from Japan will tour the multi-million facility. The training center constructed early this year has dormitory, water system, and recreational facilities.
The project was launched and the tripartite partnership was sealed through the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing on January 31, 2008 in Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City by TESDA top officials, Plan International and Isuzu Motors.
Isuzu Philippines Vice President and former Isuzu Motors human resource manager Tomoki Umeda and Plan Japan Project Manager Aya Yamagata have been visiting the site and make arrangements with TESDA officials.

In it’s website, Isuzu Philippines Corp. revealed that their company is donating one NHR passenger van and Isuzu Motors Limited (IML) of Japan is giving one Crosswind XTi to the training center to help the government in carrying out its “altruistic goal of providing technical education to young and poor Filipinos.”

“We are confident that the two vehicles will be put to good use in training young Filipino students for automotive expertise. We believe that, in the end, the car industry and most importantly the Philippines will benefit from this,” said Isuzu Philippine Corporation President Keiji Takeda in a statement.

Isuzu Motors chose the country as the beneficiary of this training center considering that “37% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, with some three million young people unable to receive education.”

According to Isuzu, the training will fill the poverty gap with the growing demand for auto technicians as the country registers more than five million motor vehicles each year.

Sabulao said that in its second year of operation, the training center would also upgrade skills of workers who have been in the automotive industry for many years now. “The center will be opened during evenings and weekends to accommodate retraining of workers.”

The training center is an “Isuzu Heart & Smile Project,” an integral part of the Japanese carmaker’s campaign to mark its 70th inaugural anniversary. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)