LAS Piñas Rep. Camille Villar said enhancing the development of highly-skilled workforces through technical and vocational education and training would not only improve the government services but likewise boost the performance of private businesses.

In signing up as co-author of House Bill No. 9903, or the proposed Department of Technical Education and Skills Development Act, Villar underscored that skills development is critical in ensuring that workers are able to properly and efficiently do their jobs.

“We need to make sure that our workers are fully adept at performing their tasks. A skilled workforce would make it easy for government offices and private businesses to properly function. To this end, we need to sustain a talented pool of manpower, which is possible through technical education and skills development,” Villar said.

She stressed that it is the duty of the government to “provide relevant, accessible, high-quality and efficient technical education and skills development in support of the development of high-quality Filipino manpower responsive to and in accordance with Philippine development goals and priorities.”

The Constitution, she added, requires the State to “encourage active participation of various concerned sectors, public as well as private technical-vocational institutions (TVls) being direct participants in and immediate beneficiaries of a technically educated and trained workforce, in providing technical education services and training opportunities.”

Villar said HBN 9903 will provide the legislative cover to this constitutional mandate.

The bill proposes the establishment of the Department of Technical Education and Skills Development (DTESD) as a permanent and dedicated government agency in the promotion of technical education and skills development. It would replace the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which was established through Republic Act No.7796, or the TESDA Act, on August 25,1994.

TESDA is mandated to oversee skills development, set standards, accredit institutions, fund projects, and support trainer programs for the development of a top-quality middle-level manpower. It is likewise tasked to set the direction, promulgate relevant standards, and implement programs geared towards a quality-assured and inclusive technical education and skills development and certification system for the country’s technical-vocational education and training (TVET) system.

TESDA was originally an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) but former President Rodrigo Duterte placed the agency under the supervision of the Cabinet secretary in 2016. In 2018, Duterte transferred the supervision of TESDA to the Department of Trade and Industry

On September 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 5 which again transferred TESDA to DOLE.

TESDA’s frequent transfer between various administrative entities has been driven by different factors, including changes in government priorities, have resulted in disruptions to its operations, delays in the implementation of programs, and challenges in maintaining continuity and coherence in policy and programmatic efforts.

“The creation of the DTESD is envisioned to address the ever-changing labor landscape and its frequent transfers between different government offices. By consolidating efforts inTVET development under a single department, the bill seeks to streamline governance, enhance coordination, and ensure the continuity and effectiveness of policies and programs aimed at developing a skilled and globally competitive workforce in the Philippines,” HBN 9903 states.