By David Vera
A new PHP48.22-million regional office building for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will be constructed in Tacloban City to address the increasing demand for its services in Eastern Visayas.
TESDA Eastern Visayas Assistant Regional Director Vivian Abueva announced on Tuesday during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas press briefing that the three-story building will be located within TESDA’s existing office complex in Abucay village. The facility will house the agency’s three divisions, along with meeting areas and conference rooms, and is expected to be completed by June 2025. It will replace the current 36-year-old regional office.
TESDA’s programs in the region aim to provide accessible technical and vocational education to a growing number of enrollees. The most popular program is the Training for Work Scholarship Program, which addresses the need for highly critical skills locally and internationally. The Private Education Student Financial Assistance program offers financial aid to marginalized but deserving students pursuing post-secondary non-degree courses.
Another initiative, the Special Training for Employment Program, focuses on community-based specialty training to address specific skills needs, encouraging entrepreneurial, self-employment, and service-oriented activities. Through the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program, TESDA provides free tuition and other school fees in state universities, colleges, and technical vocational institutions.
To reduce unemployment and address job-skill mismatches, TESDA implements the Tulong Trabaho Scholarship Program, delivering tailored training to qualified recipients.
In 2024, TESDA registered 57,706 trainees in the region through its partner schools, communities, and establishments, with 96 percent earning certification as skilled workers through competency assessments. The new office aims to enhance service delivery, reflecting TESDA’s commitment to expanding access to technical and vocational education in Eastern Visayas.