USC engineering students teach surrenderers in Mandaue City basic skills in plumbing, electricity, and other livelihood training skills. The skills training was done at the Norkis Park in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City on Saturday.
CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA
USC graduating engineering students share expertise to Mandaue surrenderers
At least 30 graduating engineering students of the University of San Carlos are continuing the advocacy of the school’s engineering department to help people in the community to uplift their lives by empowering them through education.
This year the school’s Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering department’s program to empower the community through education was extended to the drug surrenderers in Mandaue City.
The program was started in 2010.
On Saturday, the 30 engineering students took time to teach around 100 drug surrenderers livelihood skills which they could apply to turn their lives around.
Dr. Ronald Galindo, chairman of the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and representative of Community Extension Services Office, said they taught the surrenderers Plumbing Works and Fabrication, Basic Electricity and Safety, Body Mass Index and Wellness, Cutting List Preparation and Cost Estimate, Dishwashing and Liquid Detergent making, Puso (Hanging Rice) making, and Floor Map making.
Galindo said that the surrenderers’ idle minds caused them to lose their confidence and that is why they teach them these livelihood skills to empower them.
He said that their thrust for the community is education, empower, employment, entrepreneur and excellence.
Galindo said that they decided to extend the program to the drug surrenderers, who committed to change their lives when police started the campaign against illegal drugs through “Oplan Tokhang.”
“I know that the physical exercise, spiritual upliftment and other programs intended for their rehabilitation are important, but they also need to be busy with work and earn so they won’t be tempted to go back to illegal drugs,” he said.
He said he coordinated with Mandaue City Police Office through the Police Community Relations led by Senior Insp. Romulo Genandoy and started the first round of Basic Skills Training in October last year and promised to bring in more skills training.
Joseph Lumapas, 20, of Barangay Mantuyong, a surrenderer since August last year, felt very happy of this program for them to learn various livelihood skills.
“Nalipay kaayo ko nga nakat-on aning mga panginabuhi-an aron makatrabaho (I am very happy to learn these livelihood skills to get a job),” said Lumapas.
Galindo said they had been doing this since 2010 with the assistance of the graduating students.
He said the engineering students had been teaching computer skills to Day Care teachers and other programs in metro Cebu areas especially to the out-of-school youth.
He also said that they also spent P38,000 this time for the materials used in the 1-day livelihood skills training at the Norkis Park at Barangay Looc, Mandaue City.
The surrenderers, including women, were given certificates after the whole day course through a simple ceremony.
Genandoy, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Galindo and the students for their time and effort to share their skills to the surrenderers.