Isuzu Heart and Smile Project continues to empower underprivileged youth | Motourismo

From left: World Vision Operations Manager Visayas Field Officer – Bonifacio Calapan; TESDA Leyte Provincial Director – Rolando Bade; TESDA VIII Regional Director – Gamaliel Vicente Jr. CESO III, ASEAN ENG.; Tacloban City Council Member - Dr. Elvira Casal; Isuzu Motors Limited Senior Executive Officer, Administration – Hirokazu Okubo; Isuzu Shutoken Senior Executive Officer – Ryuichi Shibata; World Vision Executive Director – Rommel Fuerte together with Batch 19 Graduates

Isuzu, together with World Vision and TESDA, commemorated the graduation of Isuzu Heart and Smile Project’s 19th batch of trainees and welcomed its 23rd batch of trainees at the TESDA Auto Mechanic Training Center (AMTraC) in Tacloban, Leyte. 

The ceremonies were attended by VIPs from Isuzu Motors Limited (IML) led by Administration Senior Executive Officer Hirokazu Okubo and Isuzu Shutoken Senior Executive Officer Ryuichi Shibata; World Vision Executive Director, World Vision Executive Director Rommel Fuerte, TESDA VIII Regional Director Gamaliel Vicente Jr. CESO III, ASEAN Eng., TESDA Leyte Provincial Director Rolando Bade and Tacloban City Council Member Dr. Elvira Casal. 

16 trainees graduated from Automotive Servicing National Certificate IV, the highest qualification for Automotive Servicing and will be deployed to their respective employers after graduation. Among the 16 graduates, 12 will be dispatched to different Isuzu Dealerships nationwide while 4 of them will continue their studies at Isuzu Global Service Corporation.

IML Senior Executive Officer Okubo imparted pieces of advice to all the graduates, one of which encouraging them to excel in their work and contribute to the development of the Philippines. More than providing education to youth from poorest communities in the country, the project also aims to produce globally competitive auto mechanics that will contribute to the further development of the automotive industry in the country. 

Apart from sending 16 trainees off to their new life journey, a fresh new batch of trainees were also welcomed to the AMTraC. The 23rd batch of trainees consists of 18 scholars who were carefully selected out of the 600 applicants from different areas of the region. “Studying and graduating from this school will earn you a full-time job in the Philippines auto industry. You will also increase an opportunity to work in the automotive sector around the world,” stated Okubo. With the promise of landing a job opportunity at the end of the training program, applicants had to undergo series of examinations and interviews to finally be admitted to the AMTraC. 

Batch 23 - new batch of trainees

World Vision Executive Director Rommel Fuerte also mentioned, “We at World Vision feel blessed to be entrusted with this ministry of achieving hope, joy, and justice for all children. The AMTraC is one of those programs that is born of partnership and service to the youth.” 

Isuzu Heart and Smile Project is a program established by Isuzu Motors Limited (IML) in partnership with World Vision Development Foundation and TESDA to produce skilled and globally competitive auto mechanics that are ready for employment by the end of the 2-year program. Despite the pandemic, the project continues and has generated 367 skilled individuals who have completed 2-year Automotive Servicing courses since 2008. Aside from free education and accommodation to all trainees, the project also aims to provide careers in the automotive industry for all graduates. The project has since guaranteed 91% employment rate, helping alleviate unemployment and underemployment rate in the country. 

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