Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

3631

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Honorable Carmelo B. Lazatin IT

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish a Technical Education and Skills Authority

(TESDA) training and accreditation center in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
Section 9, Article II of the Constitution provides that " The State shall promote a
just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of
the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate
social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an
improved quality of life for all."

Mabalacat is classified as an urban city in the First District of Pampanga.
Politically, Mabalacat City is bounded by Bamban, Tarlac on the north, Porac-
Zambales on the west, by Angeles City on the south, and the town of Magalang on
the west. It has a total land area of 165.8kms - more than double to that of the land

area of neighboring Angeles City. Roughly four-fifths of the land area of the


former Clark Air Base belongs to Mabalacat City whose boundary extends up to
the Zambales ranges.

On June 15, 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted and left the then Municipality of
Mabalacat covered with volcanic ash and other pyroclastic debris destroying acres
of farmlands, crops and livestock. The pulled-out US troops from Clark Air Base
had left thousands of residents jobless instantly. The business in the area started to
collapse particularly those establishments depending on the American servicemen
and their dependents. Thousands of houses including schools and churches were
also buried by ashes. And today, twenty-five years after the dreadful tragedy,
Mabalacat is now a component city of the Province of Pampanga.

Tragedies and calamities like these make it important to prepare the people
in Mabalacat City to know how to rise up and help themselves to survive
productively when confronted with difficult situations in the future. Hence, the
establishment of an accessible, high quality and efficient education and skills
development training will be beneficial to the people of the City and will also
equip them with basic practical knowledge and technical expertise geared towards
a society that will be self-reliant and productive even in times of natural calamaties
and disasters. The establishment of a TESDA training and accreditation center in

Mabalacat City will uplift the morale of the people in the City and its neighboring


municipalities by way of possible employment and livelihood opportunities that
will further improve their quality of life.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is highly and earnestly

recommended,

cars LAZATIN u


Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

House BILL No. _ 3634

Introduced by Honorable Carmelo B. Lazatin I

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TECHNICAL,
EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA)
TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION CENTER MABALACAT CITY,
PAMPANGA AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title, — This Act shall be known as the
“MabalacatCity TESDA Training and Accreditation Center Act”.

SEC. 2. Establishment. — There is hereby established the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Accreditation
Center in the City of Mabalacat, Pampanga under the supervision of the TESDA,
hereinafter referred to as the Training and Accreditation Center.

SEC. 3. General Mandate The Training and Accreditation Center
shall primarily provide technical and vocational training and skills development
programs to low-income families and out-of-school youth in the City of Mabalacat

to make them productive, as well as to help them develop into middle-level skilled

manpower, so as to hasten the social development of the City and to meet the


needs of both local and international markets. It shall also serve as the assessment
center for technical and vocational skills in the City.

SEC. 4. Curriculum Offerings. The Training and Accreditation Center
shall offer short-term technical vocational certificate courses within its areas of
specialization.

SEC. 5. Administration. — The Training and Accreditation Center shall
be headed by a Technical Vocational Administrator under the supervision of The
TESDA.

SEC. 6. Appropriations. — The Director General of the TESDA shall
include in the TESDA’s program the establishment of the Mabalacat City TESDA
Training and Accreditation Center, the funding of which shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act. The city government of Mabalacat City shall
also set aside funds from any available local revenues in an amount deemed
appropriate by the city officials concerned as subsidy for the operationalization of
the Training and Accreditation Center.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The TESDA, in
coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry, shall formulate and issue

the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.


SEC.8.  Separability Clause. ~ If for any reason, any part or provision
of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts pr provisions
not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC.9. Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential decrees, executive
orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC.10. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,