The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in partnership with the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), has officially launched the country’s first training program on sugarcane production.

TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez said the initial batch of 25 trainees will undergo a comprehensive four-month course on Sugarcane Production NC (National Certificate) Level II.

“The first in the entire country. Negros will pilot the Sugarcane Production NC II TESDA training program,” Benitez said in a statement over the weekend.

He said the trainees will “gain hands-on experience in everything from field preparation and sugarcane farming to the vital post-production processes”.

“This training will equip local workers with the technical skills needed to improve productivity and sustainability in the Negros sugar industry, helping to strengthen the region’s sugarcane production for years to come,” he added.

The trainees, selected from five participating local government units –Victorias City, Silay City, and the municipalities of E.B. Magalona, La Castellana, and Murcia — are beneficiaries of TESDA scholarships through UNO-R’s Special Technological and Educational Programs. (PNA)