By Jun Burgos
THE push to align technical-vocational training with international standards, as affirmed by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) under Director General Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez, is not just bureaucratic tidying — it’s economic recalibration.
My recent email interview with TESDA Director General Benitez confirmed a strong push to align training with international standards.
TESDA’s vision is anchored on one premise: the global economy is unforgiving to isolation.
In an interconnected world, workers must move with credentials that speak the same language as the industries they serve.
One success story bears repeating.
In 1999, the University of Santo Tomas established its Master in Clinical Audiology, borrowing the curriculum of Australia’s Macquarie University in Sydney.
Its graduates, through strategic accreditation partnerships, found seamless entry into health systems in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
That model is instructive. And TESDA is now pursuing its own version — with broader reach and more sectors in scope.
The PH TVET Internationalization Framework (TESDA Circular No. 097, s. 2021) outlines the roadmap: internationally aligned curricula, trainer exchanges, global skills competitions, and strategic tie-ups with counterparts abroad.
The goals are pragmatic — boost employability, improve remittance value, and elevate worker dignity.
The numbers demand attention. Remittances reached a record $33.491 billion in 2023, but much of that came from low-skill segments.
International certification could change that calculus. Raise the skill grade and more importantly raise the earning power. TESDA’s Adopt-and-Adapt Strategy (TESDA Circular No. 009, s. 2024) adds another layer — adopting proven global standards, then tailoring them to local realities.
That approach shows maturity and foresight. We’re already seeing results.
The tourism sector, working with TESDA and the Department of Tourism, has adopted 16 Training Regulations based on ASEAN competency benchmarks.
This enables cross-border recognition — say, for a Filipino hotel staff heading to Singapore or a chef eyeing work in Thailand. Take for example a young chef in Iloilo. Through TESDA’s new alignment, she earns a certification acknowledged in Canada. Within months, she lands a post in a Toronto fine dining restaurant — tripling her income, sending money back home, and inspiring culinary students in her hometown.
These aren’t hypotheticals. These are possibilities backed by policy and ambition. TESDA is also engaging with major institutions — Australia’s Technical and Further Education (TAFE), New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA), Canada’s Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) — to ensure Training Regulations resonate across borders.
Meanwhile, reforms in the Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS) and industry-led boards are being rolled out to tighten quality controls and sustain credibility.
Challenges remain. Funding, institutional capacity, and consistency across thousands of Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) need to keep pace.
But the direction is sound. We must move past treating TESDA training as a fallback. If implemented well, this strategy redefines technical education from domestic filler to global asset.
Industries would do well to engage — by providing feedback, welcoming apprenticeships, and co-investing in talent. When a Filipino tradesman crosses borders with skills stamped by global standards, it isn’t just a career milestone — it’s a quiet triumph for a nation ready to claim its place in the competitive world of work.
Author’s Bio
Jun Burgos is a strategic brand architect, regulatory affairs advisor, and editorial columnist whose work bridges institutional reform with public accountability. He writes about national policy, regional development, and civic reform. Jun previously served as Information Attaché at the Philippine Embassy in Canberra and held senior communications roles in the Senate of the Philippines and Pasay City Government. He belongs to a family of journalists including our country’s press freedom icon José G. Burgos Jr.
