Tulfo Questions Personal P19,000 Disbursement for TESDA Scholarship Applicant

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday questioned why he personally had to give P19,000 to a woman seeking to enroll in a caregiving course, wanting to avail herself of TESDA training. According to the senator, despite believing that TESDA training should be free, he resorted to giving the woman money. The senator did not elaborate on the specific circumstances that led to him personally disbursing the funds, but his statement implies a situation where the aspiring TESDA scholar could not proceed with her training without this personal financial intervention. Tulfo’s remark highlights a potential issue with access to vocational training programs in the Philippines. TESDA is mandated to provide accessible skills development and employment opportunities to Filipinos. However, such instances suggest that barriers, possibly procedural or related to unforeseen costs, might still exist for some applicants. The senator’s public questioning of the matter underscores the importance of ensuring that government-funded training programs are indeed free and accessible to all eligible citizens without requiring personal financial outlays from public servants.