By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Palau Community Action Agency has come to the aid of President Remengesau to request for a supplemental funding of $60,030 to continue its present programs and services.
One of these is the Apprentice Training Program with the Civic Action Team, which data showed would need $18,200. This is to fund 14 trainees, who stand to receive $100 each for their by-weekly stipend or equivalent to $1400 each in a total of 13 stipends.
In his letter to the president dated April 30, PCAA President Board of Directors Salvador Tellames explained that the ongoing apprentice training program for young adults, who are selected to be trained on various fields of their own choice.
The CAT provides training including necessary materials and transportation from home to the site and back.
PCAA provides training stipends and assists the trainees to find a job.
PCAA said that the goal of this program is to increase the number of Palauans with technical skills in the country’s workforce and reduce the number of foregoing workers.
PCAA’s Childcare Service is also in need of $18,932.
From this amount is a total of $8,320 to fund eight providers on an $80 by weekly (40 hours) in 13 paydays while the remaining $10,612 is to pay two center base staffs on part time basis.
Data also showed that an amount of $22,898 is needed to fund and recall PCAA’s staff who were laid-off. The budget is for salary and wages including fringe for Program Clerk ($6,895), Operation and Logistic ($7,471) and part time Administrative Assistant ($8,532).
Tellames explained to the president that "what happened to Palau CAA budget was during FY2007 authorizing process, $65,000 was taken out from the overall Agency budget to create Head Start Program line item budget."
Because of this, Tellames said that PCAA could not fully operate and continue all its program services and retain all staff.