MANILA – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has expressed readiness to implement the reforms recommended by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) in its latest report.

“We welcome the roadmap provided by the EDCOM 2 report to strengthen the technical-vocational education and training (TVET) sector,” TESDA Director General Kiko Benitez said in a statement Thursday.

“With the recently passed landmark EBET law, we have been actively engaging with various industries to ensure that our technical education system is resilient, inclusive, and adaptive,” he added, referring to the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed in November last year.

Benitez, a former EDCOM 2 commissioner, cited the importance of aligning TVET programs with industry needs.

“We thank EDCOM 2 for helping to highlight the challenges in TVET. TESDA is working with the Commission alongside other stakeholders in both the public and private space to ensure our training programs produce employable graduates who will meet the current demands of the evolving labor market,” he said.

Benitez further highlighted the efforts of TESDA and its partner institutions to provide more effective methods for Filipinos to upskill and reskill.

“We are focused on enhancing our program delivery and resource allocation to ensure that we equip the workforce with necessary skills, but to also carve a path for them towards lifelong learning,” he said.

EDCOM 2 is the congressional body that was created through Republic Act 11899 and tasked to undertake a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the performance of the Philippine education sector from 2023 to 2025.

It recently released its Year 2 report, “Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival,” which outlines the urgent priorities in Philippine education.

Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who is also a former EDCOM 2 commissioner, earlier reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with EDCOM 2 in addressing gaps in the country’s education system. (PNA)