SANTO TOMAS, Isabela-Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director-General Jose Francisco Benitez has expressed confidence that the country’s investments for technical and vocational education in caregiving, early childcare and development, computer servicing, tourism, agri-business and others will further prosper.
Benitez aired the statement after he inspected the new facilities for the national certificate training-accredited center of Santo Tomas Technological International School in Poblacion in this town on September 21.
The TESDA head said up-to-date training is provided to ensure that TESDA graduates are ready for work in in-demand industries in the country while development through technical and vocational skills, not degrees, will be further promoted, he said.
“The technical-vocational investments is a part of the ecosystem that will bring more opportunities for employment,” he added.
The agency got about P4-billion-peso nationwide budget in 2025, a miniscule amount comparable to only two percent of the P749-million budget of DepEd, Benitez added.
He urged legislators to allocate more fund for technical-vocational courses “so that many skills investments will be achieved.” He said the agency’s goal is also anchored in the Philippine Qualifications Framework for entry into the country’s education and training system.
By VILL GIDEON VISAYA
