TESDA to offer free driving lessons to the public

Independent mobility has always been regarded as a privilege, but in these COVID-addled times, it’s become more of a necessity. Being able to drive your own means of transport lessens the risk of your potential exposure to the virus, apart from being an important skill in delivering goods to those largely confined at home.

The LTO and TESDA sign an agreement to standardize driving school requirements and offer free training courses

However, the pandemic is taking a huge financial toll, and many citizens would rather prioritize their basic needs than pay for expensive driving courses. But what if these courses were offered for free?

That’s what the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aim to do, signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at strengthening driver’s education in the country. The objective is to raise the quality of drivers on the road by standardizing the requirements across the country’s driving schools, apart from making more affordable (and even free) training courses available.

Under the MOA, TESDA and its training centers will be allowed to offer both the Theoretical Driving Course and Practical Driving Course, equivalent to those being conducted by the LTO Driver’s Education Centers. The agreement will also complement existing training courses to ensure consistency of standards, as well as complying with requirements on the ease of doing business.

“We have partnered with TESDA because we want to tap their expertise to ensure the quality of driver’s training being given by driving schools, the LTO, and TESDA,” said Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante.

Hopefully, more aspiring drivers can benefit from this initiative

He further emphasized that anyone interested in driver’s training can expect more free courses to be offered. “Ito po ang sagot ng ating pamahalaan sa hiling ng publiko para sa dekalidad at murang training program para sa mga drivers.”(This is the government’s response to the public clamor for quality and affordable training programs for drivers)

TESDA Director General Isidro Lapeña cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) saying that qualified drivers are among the jobs currently in demand in the labor market. “As we transition to the new normal, kailangan ng qualified drivers, ito ang constant na pangangailangan ng mga industries.”

(As we transition to the new normal, there is a demand for qualified drivers, these are constantly required by industries)

Our motoring and transport updates won’t cost you a thing at Philkotse.com.