House OKs Eastern Samar school upgrade into polytechnic institute
THE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to upgrade the Samar National School of Arts and Trade (SNSAT) into a polytechnic institute that would offer advanced technical-vocational education and training (TVET) programs geared toward skills needed in high-demand occupations.
Under House Bill No. 9467, the SNSAT in the Municipality of Taft would be converted into the Eastern Samar Polytechnic Institute (ESPI) and placed directly under the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan, who hails from Taft, jointly authored the bill.
Gonzales said the ESPI would help young people and other residents of Taft and neighboring communities acquire practical, market-relevant skills needed to improve their prospects for employment, better livelihoods or entrepreneurship.
“We want the new institute to produce graduates with hands-on training that can lead to immediate jobs, gainful self-employment or opportunities to start their own businesses,” Gonzales said.
The ESPI would offer TESDA-registered programs, postsecondary short-term courses, undergraduate certificate and diploma courses, and modular training in fields such as industrial technology, tourism and hospitality, agriculture and aquaculture, information technology, automotive servicing, welding, electrical installation and computer servicing.
Gonzales said the programs would be designed to respond more closely to the workforce requirements of local industries and the broader labor market, including occupations with strong demand for workers in the Philippines and overseas.
“Our goal is not simply to expand the number of training programs. We want to make sure that the skills our graduates acquire match what employers and industries actually need. Better skills-to-jobs matching means better employability and better opportunities for our people,” he said.
The ESPI would give economically disadvantaged students, out-of-school youth, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples from Taft and adjacent communities priority admission and access to scholarships, grants-in-aid and other financial assistance.
It may also establish research and technology hubs, technology development farms, satellite or extension campuses, and mobile training programs to bring TVET closer to underserved communities.
Gonzales said the ESPI would help build a larger pool of skilled and globally competitive workers while strengthening Taft and surrounding communities as human-resource and productivity hubs.
“Eastern Samar needs more pathways toward decent employment and sustainable livelihoods. By investing in skills that match real job opportunities, we are investing directly in the capacity of our people to earn, build businesses and contribute to the growth of our local economy,” Gonzales said.
