Some 20,000 additional training scholarship slots will be opened this year by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for poor and marginalized sectors in Region 12 (Soccsksargen). TESDA-Region 12 director Rafael Abrogar II said on Monday the preparations are underway for the expansion of its skills training scholarships in partnership with local stakeholders. He said the move is aimed to provide work and livelihood opportunities to more residents, especially those affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. The scholarships will accommodate qualified residents from the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and South Cotabato, he said.

It is the shared history and abiding commitment to democracy that define and anchor the relationship between the Philippines and the United States (US), according to President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte made this statement to commemorate the 75th anniversaries of the inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic and the Philippines-US Diplomatic Relations. In these two historical events, Duterte said the Philippines was able to regain its independence. “By doing so, we reclaimed our inherent right to an independent state and to forge relations with other countries on the basis of sovereign equality and respect,” he said in his speech on Monday.