BHWs must pay fee for certification
HEALTH SERVICING NOT IN PRIORITY LIST
BARANGAY Health Workers (BHWs) in Pangasinan must pay the P970 assessment fee required to obtain a National Certificate II because Barangay Health Servicing is not included in the province’s priority skills training list, according to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
In a recent statement, TESDA Provincial Director James Ferrer explained that the central office has not allocated funds to offset the assessment fees for BHWs due to the program’s exclusion from the province’s three primary training areas, which have been given a set budget.
To facilitate training and assessment for BHWs, Fourth District Board Member Jerry Agerico Rosario suggested that the province-run Pangasinan Polytechnic College could serve as a training and assessment center for Barangay Health Servicing.
However, TESDA Pangasinan said this arrangement is not immediately feasible as the newly-opened institution has yet to establish and get accreditation as a Barangay Health Servicing NC II Training and Assessment Center.
Pangasinan also has no training centers specifically offering Barangay Health Servicing courses, according to Ferrer, even among the three TESDA-accredited centers in the province (Pangasinan Technological Institute in Binmaley, Pangasinan School of Arts and Trades in Lingayen, and the OBC Learning and Assessment Center Philippines Inc. in Lingayen and Alaminos City.
The TESDA official said an alternative route for BHWs to obtain certification without going through the assessment is to gain at least two years of experience in the field. (Ahikam Pasion)
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