In line with the Duterte administration’s commitment to advance human capital, P14.8 Billion has been allocated for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the proposed 2019 National Budget. This is almost twice the previous year’s allocation of P7.56 Billion.

The increased budget allocation aims to promote skills-based education towards a more specialized labor market. “We have a young population with a median age of 24. By providing them with better access to education, especially skills-based training, we can make Filipino workers more agile and competitive, so much so, that it would become easier for them to find employment opportunities,” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.

Table 1 - TESDA appropriations from 2016 to 2019 (in thousand pesos)

With a budget of P2.3 Billion, TESDA’s Training for Work Scholarship Program targets to offer 163,672 enrollees with courses in priority industries and key employment generators, such as agri-fishery, agri-business, agro-industrial, and general infrastructure, among others.

Meanwhile, for TESDA’s Special Training for Employment Program, P1.7 Billion is earmarked for community-based trainings on specific skills that will promote employment in local communities.

Lastly, the Private Education Student Financial Assistance, another key TESDA program, will receive a P200 Million budget in 2019. This will provide financial assistance to 4,000 poor but deserving students enrolled in technical-vocational courses, and will provide assistance to private institutions in assuring a steady supply of enrollees to their course offerings.

Notably, under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program, P7.0 Billion will be used for the implementation of the free technical education and training in more than 50 state-run technical-vocational institutions nationwide. This is seen to benefit 203,185 students in 2019. This program also covers the provision of starter tool kits, as well as the fee for the National Competency Assessment, a test to determine whether the student has achieved the level of competency required in a specific skill.

“We hope that our efforts of ensuring universal access to education, including technical-vocational and skills-based education, will greatly enhance our country’s economic prospects, not only through employment, but also in ensuring inclusive development,” DBM Secretary Diokno noted.

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PR No. 2019-19