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Eco Warriors Gain New Livelihood Skills Through Banana Chips and Food Safety Training with TESDA
Seven staff members of the PZC-Eco Kolek Program and 14 Eco Warriors completed a full-day training in banana chips production and basic food safety on May 29, in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through PPSAT-TESDA. The training, held from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., forms part of Eco Kolek's continuing effort to equip its community of informal waste collectors with practical, income-generating skills.
Mitchell Gimena
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan — Seven staff members of the PZC-Eco Kolek Program and 14 Eco Warriors completed a full-day training in banana chips production and basic food safety on May 29, in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through PPSAT-TESDA. The training, held from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., forms part of Eco Kolek's continuing effort to equip its community of informal waste collectors with practical, income-generating skills.
The program opened with remarks from Dennis Creach Barcelona and Joyce Oliverio, who thanked TESDA for its continued partnership and underscored the training's role in helping Eco Warriors build the foundation for their own small enterprises. Oliverio noted that the initiative includes a business planning component, emphasizing that the program is designed as a sustained pathway toward economic self-sufficiency rather than a single instructional session.
Trainer Melinda Alcala led a discussion on basic food safety and sanitation before guiding participants through the full banana chips production process — from washing, peeling, and slicing the bananas to the double-frying method used to achieve the product's characteristic texture. Divided into five groups alongside Eco Kolek staff, participants observed proper hygiene protocols, including the use of hairnets, aprons, and face masks, before working collaboratively through each stage of preparation, cooking, and packaging.
Several participants, though already familiar with informal banana chips preparation, noted that the training introduced new techniques to improve product quality. "Nagluluto din ako ng banana chips pero hindi ko pinapahiran ng mantika ang saging pagkatapos balatan tulad ng ginawa natin ngayon. May bago na naman akong natutunan," said Lydia Elmedorial, an Eco Warrior. Fellow participant Rowena Del Rosario shared a similar observation regarding the double-frying process: "May first and second frying pala sa pagluluto ng banana chips para mas maging crunchy."
By the afternoon, each group had packaged its finished output for a group photograph, followed by a certificate awarding ceremony that concluded the day's activities.
Beyond the technical skills imparted, organizers noted that the training reinforced teamwork, confidence, and entrepreneurial awareness among participants, while further strengthening the working partnership between PZC-Eco Kolek and TESDA in advancing livelihood development for Eco Warriors. The PZC-Eco Kolek Program said it remains committed to expanding such capacity-building initiatives in support of the sustainable economic empowerment of its Eco Warrior community.
