By Michelle Ducut
Skills training provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is on par with university education and meets international standards, according to graduates and officials.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas briefing on Tuesday, former TESDA scholar Omar Cabillo shared his success story, having completed the basic electrician course in 2014 and a master electrician diploma in 2019. Cabillo, who passed the Professional Regulation Commission’s licensure examination, said TESDA graduates can compete equally with university graduates and professionals working abroad.
“Graduates of technical-vocational and diploma courses of TESDA are of equal capacity with those who graduated from universities and are employed overseas,” Cabillo said. He currently works as a freelance electrician, taking on projects in Baguio City and Pangasinan, and has plans to work abroad while ensuring his skills meet international standards.
TESDA-CAR Assistant Director Glenn Murphy affirmed this, highlighting that TESDA programs emphasize practical skills and provide internationally recognized national certifications (NC). He noted that TESDA graduates perform well in regional, national, and world competitions, underscoring the high quality of training.
Murphy also cited a TESDA survey showing that eight out of 10 graduates are either self-employed, managing their own businesses, or employed in formal work environments. He emphasized that TESDA’s programs equip graduates to meet the demands of local and global industries.
As of November 29, TESDA-CAR has seen 62,700 out of 66,611 scholars graduate this year. Of these, 29,704 earned national certifications, and many are now employed. For 2024, TESDA-CAR allocated PHP400 million for its scholarship programs, continuing its mission to provide accessible technical education.
During the briefing, TESDA distributed stipends to Diploma Course scholars, including a tuition fee subsidy of PHP15,000 per semester and a PHP3,600 monthly transportation allowance. In 2023, TESDA-CAR had 15,171 scholars, an increase from the 16,803 scholars in 2022.