A total of 250 graduates completed the Virtual Assistant Services Level 3 training under the AIDA Plus program during a graduation ceremony held Aug. 26 at the SM Seaside City Wing Atrium, marking another step in Visayan Electric Company’s efforts to support skills development and livelihood opportunities in Cebu.
This is the true power of digital skills development: with the right capabilities, a Filipino from a small local community can work with a client from another province, another city, or even another country.
— Mina Lyn C. Peralta
Director III, Department of Information and Communications Technology – ICT Literacy and Competency Development Bureau (DICT – ILCBD)
Conducted in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Region 7, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), ICT Literacy and Competency Development Bureau (ILCDB), Strengthening the Philippine Workforce through Adaptive and Responsive Digital Knowledge (SPARK), and Cebu Call Center Academy, the 120-hour online training prepared learners for virtual assistance, BPO and other digital-work opportunities. The training was conducted online from 6 PM to 10 PM, allowing trainees to build practical skills while managing school, work and other responsibilities.
The cohort included mostly high school students and incoming college students, alongside professionals, reflecting the program’s broader reach beyond a single demographic.
The gathering highlighted a growing need in Cebu: helping local learners develop skills that can connect them to an increasingly digital labor market.
Visayan Electric expands its livelihood efforts
For Visayan Electric, AIDA Plus is part of a continuing effort to contribute to communities beyond its core role as an electric distribution utility.
Engr. Nico Arancillo, Senior Assistant Vice President for Technical Support Group of Visayan Electric, said the company’s responsibility extends beyond powering homes, streets and the local economy.
He described the initiative as part of Visayan Electric’s livelihood Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, building on earlier programs with Aboitiz Foundation and Elevate AIDA.
Through those previous efforts, the company had already seen graduates use their training to build livelihoods. AIDA Plus expands that direction by providing accessible training in virtual assistance and other digital skills, with the goal of helping address unemployment and preparing participants for the modern workforce.
“Electricity may power your computers and routers, but it is your skill, passion, and determination that will power your growth and success,” Arancillo said.
For Cebu, the distinction matters. Digital work can create opportunities that are not necessarily tied to a traditional office or workplace, giving learners a way to use their skills for employment while remaining in their local communities.
Arancillo emphasized that Visayan Electric’s support for the program rests on three areas: helping participants thrive in the digital economy, making quality digital training accessible and creating positive effects that extend from individual graduates to their families and communities.
AIDA Plus opens digital training to a wider group
According to JR Roque, Impact Lead for Jobs at Aboitiz Foundation, feedback from partners and local government units pointed to the need to expand digital training beyond artificial intelligence data annotation (AIDA) and to make the opportunities more inclusive.
Building on the success of Elevate AIDA implemented in partnership with Connected Women, AIDA Plus offers a broader range of industry-relevant digital upskilling opportunities, including virtual assistance, cloud accounting, data analytics, etc., while opening participation to men and other genders alongside women.
For these Cebu trainees, the opportunity was brought closer to communities within the franchise areas of Visayan Electric, with TESDA Region 7 supporting training standards and Cebu Call Center Academy serving as a training partner.
Mina Lyn C. Peralta, Director III of DICT’s ICT Literacy and Competency Development Bureau, said the partnership demonstrates what can happen when government, industry, academia and local communities work together to prepare Filipinos for the digital economy.
Skills, creativity, determination and perseverance remain essential, she said, noting that digital capabilities can allow a Filipino from a local community to work with clients from another city, province or even another country.
“This is the true power of digital skills development: with the right capabilities, a Filipino from a small local community can work with a client from another province, another city, or even another country,” shared Peralta.
From online classrooms to actual opportunities
For the graduates, the 120-hour program became an introduction to the realities of working in a digital environment.
Kate Malazarte, one of the graduates, recalled the challenges that came with online classes, such as unstable internet connections and sudden blackouts to frozen screens. Those moments, however, became part of the experience that brought the trainees together.
Malazarte said during her speech the training helped participants develop skills in customer service, modern technology and professional confidence. She also credited the Cebu Call Center Academy trainers and coaches for guiding the trainees throughout the program.
She added that several of her fellow graduates had already secured jobs and found companies to work for, giving the cohort a tangible example of what the training could lead to beyond graduation day.
For Visayan Electric, that transition from training to opportunity is central to the purpose of the initiative.
The company’s effort, and through their collaborative efforts with the private and public sectors, to support digital skills development recognizes that Cebu’s workforce is increasingly connected to opportunities that extend beyond the traditional workplace. For students preparing for college, professionals looking to add another skill set and other learners seeking ways to enter the workforce, digital training can provide an additional pathway toward employment.
As the graduates move forward, their certificates represent the possibility of taking skills learned from a virtual classroom in Cebu and applying them to an increasingly connected workforce.
For Visayan Electric, that is where its community role meets the realities of a changing economy: by helping equip people with skills, the company is not only supporting individual career opportunities but also contributing to a more digitally capable and future-ready Cebu.
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