Pangulong Gloria Scholarships

The Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA ) Quezon City District office has recently awarded 1,000 Pangulong Gloria Scholarships to poor yet deserving students in its first pilot tsting of the PGS scholarships to selected schools/TEK Bok Providers (TBP).
According to NCR Regional Director Mitch Tangonan, this is on;ly the first batch of PGS scholaers, more will be following as the government plans to increase Training for work scholarships in order that students will have more access to sure jobs and employable skills after completion of their trainings.

Among the schools that were able to be part of the pilot implementation of the PGS was the Asian Academy of Business and Computer of which 100 students were awarded scholarships in the following fields:

• Computer hardware servicing NC II : 25 slots
• Programming NC IV: 25 slots
• Visual Graphics NC III: 25 slots
• Book Keeping NC III : 25 slots
  

There are other schools also co-implementing the program. For more details, you may check www.tesdaqc.wordpress.com for more details.

Putting Blender on the drawing table

Recently... we had started joint project with GMA kapuso Foundation to train 50 out of school youths in Visual Graphics and 3d animation .

Of course one of the aims of that project was to make available open source tools and show that indeed they are ready for the market.

Another very important reason we felt was that we wanted to prove that we can turn a person with zero knowledge in computer and graphics into a functional person ready for employment. And what more better opportunity it was to offer people a fighting chance to get employment as a graphics artist.

And offerring a scholarship for 50 people who needed it most was what our partner GMA kapuso foundation felt could better serve a higher purpose and empower a lot of our constituents.

One significant thing was.. we were already previously offering blender both as part of our regular Graphics and design as well as Multimedia Application curricular instruction. Thus, our lead animation instructor, Sir Dennis Jorolan...was already experienced with dealing with the proprietary and open source tools in 3d animation. being an open source advocate himself... he welcomed the idea.

We wanted very much to put GIMP, as well as KINO, Jahshaka, DIA as well as other opne source tools on the drawing board as well; as our graphics people were very much into the idea... we are hoping that after our first batch of KASI (Kapuso-AABC Scholarship Initiative) scholars; we could prove that indeed open source tools are as good as proprietary tools.

Of course, one cannot but acknowledge the foresight of the foundations executive director, Sir Nonie dela Fuente who also encouraged and welcomed the idea.

So, to the soon to be scholars, to the men and women behind the project.... good luck.....