Tech-voc redux

Uriel C. Quilinguing .

IN six years, many things can happen. To rest on one’s laurels does not augur well when many have set high expectations; fulfilling them, when the bar has been set high, could be frustrating—a temptation for makeovers.

Among government agencies, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has long been a game-changer in poverty alleviation initiatives since its inception in 1994. And, whoever was the brainchild in creating an agency, out of Department of Labor and Employment’s National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) and Department of Education’s Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTBE), deserve a Civil Service Commission’s Lingkod Bayan award.

2013 could be the best year for Tesda, reaping public accolades due to the agency’s contribution in addressing the country’s unemployment.  Results of an Impact Evaluation Survey the Department of Budget and Management conducted showed that 65% to 91% employment rate—or roughly seven out of 10—for all graduates of Tesda courses.

Also on that year, the Philippine Statistics Authority released the agency’s Employer Satisfaction Survey which revealed that 87% of 5,451 employers-respondents were satisfied with the performance of Tesda tech-voc graduates they hired.

Official records in 2013 for both Tesda and the Department of Social Welfare and Development  indicate that 39,518 out of 66,114 graduates of the Tesda-DSWD Cash for Work Training Program (C4TP) have already become either salaried workers  or have been earning from self-financed enterprises.

But Tesda’s feathers were ruffled and her turf was shaken in 2013 when Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act, took effect.

The measure, widely known as Department of Education’s K to 12 basic education system, introduced a senior high school curricula which has a technical-vocational-livelihood (TVL) tract. The tract has four strands and these are agri-fishery, home economics, information and communication technology, and industrial arts. Many, if not all of these, are the very training courses Tesda has been offering to OSYs and those who wish a change in career, or for retooling of skills.

Through the voucher program, SHS TVL tract is offered for free for all JHS graduates as well as high school graduates had become out-of –school youth (OSYs)—the very population which, for so many years, was Tesda’s TVET market.

Tesda may not be aware of the effect of DepEd’s SHS TVL tract on their TVET program, including the training scholarships they have been offering. What was clear for them was that they have performance targets to meet by yearend which was the shared concern in last Friday’s (August 9, 2019) Regional Scholarship Forum in Cagayan de Oro.

Tesda 10 director Tarhata S. Mapandi appealed to her provincial directors and personnel present to double their efforts to achieve the 100% fund utilization goal for Training for Work Scholarship (TWSP), Special Training for Employment Program (Step), Private Education Student Financial Assistance (Pesfa),  and the Universal Access for Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA).

Mapandi, during the Ulat ng Tesda with was a side-activity of the forum, said Tesda 10  currently ranks third among 17 regions in budgetary allocation for training scholarships. Asked why TWSP allocations have to be apportioned with the Central Office and of Regional Offices, the Tesda 10 head bluntly said: “I am not privy to central office policies.” 

Utilization rates, as of August 8, 2019 for combined TWSP, Pesfa, and UAQTEA scholarships were as follows: Misamis Occidental, 49.09%; Misamis Oriental, 47.42%; Bukidnon, 33.5%; Lanao del Norte, 31.1%; and Camiguin, 22.85%. The Tesda 10 head said she is optimistic the provincial offices would enlist more scholars before the agency’s big day—the 25^th Tesda Anniversary on August 25.

Over lunch, Mapandi admitted there was delay in the releases of scholarship funds due to the reenacted budget and the electoral exercise, hence the regional office received the advice of allotment only after the elections. But she’s optimistic of a recovery for the remainder of the year and achieve a 100% utilization performance.

Now I wonder if she was aware the hard copies of the power-point presentation were distributed to media practitioners and this indicate Tesda 10’s  43.69% utilization rate in 2018’s UAQTEA slots and appropriation.

There should have been explanations, either during the forum or in the Ulat ng Tesda.

Under a centralized government, the budgeting process takes a two-year cycle and fund releases are delayed and may even be aggravated by the central offices who wish to “manage” appropriations for the regions.

Well, millions of pesos deposited in banks earn interests, right?

It is clear in Tesda’s mandated functions, the last of seven in the list but most important—Manage skills development funds. It’s number one function is to devolve training functions to local governments, hopefully including the funds.

Tesda should start relegating—or shall we say returning—tech-voc training courses to DepEd’s SHS.

It’s almost 25 years since Tesda was created. It should now devolve its training functions to the provincial and city governments whose leaders know the real training needs of the residents and the technical and vocational skills local industries require.  Tesda however must stay so as to provide policy directions, set standards, undertake the assessments and the sole authority in the issuance of competency certifications.

(Uriel C. Quilinguing is a former president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club and was an editor in chief of this paper. For comments and reactions, email them to uriel_quilinguing@yahoo.com)