Leading the way to develop multi-skilled Filipinos

Many Filipinos still struggle to make ends meet, and achieving higher education remains a distant dream for most. Thankfully, there’s a government agency that empowers countless individuals seeking to carve their path in the workforce. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) lends a helping hand by offering various vocational training programs tailored to Filipinos striving to better their lives.

Regardless of financial constraints or educational barriers, Tesda provides avenues for them to acquire valuable skills that can pave the way to secure employment and a brighter future. With more than 500 higher-level technical vocational education and training (TVET) or diploma programs spanning diverse industries — from automotive and electronics to hospitality and healthcare — across various schools and training centers nationwide, Tesda opens doors and equips learners with the practical expertise demanded by today’s competitive job market.

Heading Tesda’s impact and paving the way to achieve the dreams of many Filipinos is Tesda Director General, Secretary Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu, appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on June 7, 2023. If the surname rings a bell, it is because he was a long-time politician marked by notable achievements and initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the residents of the province of Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao. Of course, his achievements include enhancing the quality of education within their community.

Former Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto ‘Teng’ Mangudadatu works as an appointed head for the first time as Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Secretary. COVER AND BANNER PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

Mangudadatu’s leadership abilities and dedication to public service first began when he served as the Municipal Mayor of the Municipality of Lutayan from July 1998 to June 2004. Building upon his success as mayor, he was elected as the Congressman of the Lone District of Sultan Kudarat, serving from July 2004 to June 2007. He then held the Provincial Governor of Sultan Kudarat position from July 2007 to June 2016 and was re-elected serving a second term from July 2019 to June 2022.

Marking his first role as a presidential appointee, Secretary Mangudadatu shares his plans and vision for Tesda and how he aims to improve the lives of Filipinos in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times Magazine (STM).

STM: Looking back on your tenure as an official in Sultan Kudarat since 1998, what would you consider some of your most outstanding achievements?

Secretary Mangudadatu: Our advocacy was inherited from my father, who was the first elected Muslim official in Sultan Kudarat, a province dominated mainly by Christians. In 1998, we focused on peace and order programs to address the high tensions between Muslims and Christians in the region. After serving two terms as mayor, I became a congressman during the 13th Congress and during my tenure, I advocated for the Lone District of Sultan Kudarat, emphasizing education and healthcare programs. We elevated State Colleges to Universities and introduced ladderized courses.

Education was our priority, believing it to be crucial for lasting peace, especially in Mindanao. Concurrently, we also emphasized healthcare services. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo allocated funds for establishing hospitals, including a mobile hospital, to reach remote barangays.

Additionally, we empowered our fellow IPs (indigenous peoples) to ensure their recognition within the community, shifting away from their previous roles solely as laborers.

In 2007, I assumed the role of governor, and during that time, I divided the province into two congressional districts to ensure adequate representation in Congress. This was signed into effect by then-President Arroyo in 2006.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. appointed Secretary Mangudadatu on June 7, 2023. Under his leadership, he vows to bring TechVoc programs and services closer to the communities. PHOTO COURTESY OF PCO

We expanded educational offerings with two congressmen, gaining approval for courses such as nursing, med-tech, and LLB (Bachelor of Laws).

Our focus remained on health, peace, and education, with emphasis on providing free health services despite economic challenges. In 2016, during my tenure as Congressman in the First District of Sultan Kudarat, we initiated programs to construct a four-storey hospital and established dialysis centers, addressing critical healthcare needs.

Furthermore, we empowered the people of Sultan Kudarat, including the Teduray and Manobo tribes, enabling their participation in governance as councilors and barangay captains. Previously marginalized, they are now leaders in their communities.

You’ve highlighted your work in the education sector in Sultan Kudarat, particularly the expansion of courses from state colleges to universities.

Now you’re in a different role, leading Tesda, whose focus is on technical vocation. What was your reaction when President Marcos appointed you to the agency, and what did you do first?

On June 13, 2023, Secretary Mangudadatu officially assumed his post as Tesda Secretary/ Director General after a turnover ceremony with then outgoing head Danilo Cruz held at the Tesda Auditorium.

I thank the President for allowing me to lead this agency, Tesda, which, as you have noted, primarily focuses on technical vocational courses and training. If you look at my clientele in Tesda, they mostly come from average to low-income families, which is why we have many out-of-school youth seeking blue-collar jobs. I’m very pleased to be at Tesda because my advocacy lies in education and development. I believe we came from one department before. We were part of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, which later split into the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Education (DepEd), and Tesda. Believing in the unity of government departments, I am striving to connect the dots.

Currently, we have K to 12, aiming for Filipinos aged 18 to be workforce-ready. During implementation, K-12 was divided into four tracks: academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL), arts, and sports. As head of this agency, the first thing I look into is the status of the K-12 because our President really wants to deliver the program, “Sama-sama tayong babangon muli.” I believe in President Marcos’ slogan, and I also believe Tesda is part of it. The only thing we can rise up is if our education system will become stronger.

In my first three months, I delved into why the tracks were separated in senior high school education, where students can choose between Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL), and Sports and Arts. According to them, in academic tracks, they prepare for future careers chosen by the student, such as ABM (Accountancy, Business, and Management) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), while TVL students are geared toward blue-collar jobs. It’s as if you’re dividing people’s lives immediately. Why not give them a chance for both academic and TVL paths to work side by side so we can prepare them for their chosen careers and allow them to be multi-skilled Filipinos, as we need them.

So, we studied the curriculum and programs offered by DepEd. It’s almost the same – DepEd is slightly more focused on the theoretical side but needs more practical application. So, if we can contextualize some programs like oral communication, we can provide local guiding services, or if it’s English academic, they can pursue front office services or customer services.

Imagine if, in K-12, they already have competency in the first semester and then another competency in the second semester? Then, we can produce a multi-skilled Filipino.

Apart from that, in some municipalities, a senior high school serves three to six barangays each. While Metro Manila and NCR boast numerous schools, rural areas from Region 1 to Region 13, including the Cordillera and BARMM, often see multiple barangays clustered into one senior high school, sometimes 200 meters to two kilometers away. This presents a challenge for students traveling from different barangays just to obtain a diploma.

By enhancing the practical aspect without compromising DepEd standards, we envision Grade 11 students acquiring two competencies, paving the way for a multi-skilled Filipino workforce in the next two to three years. This not only prepares them for potential investments but also for world-class job opportunities and salaries. That is why we are trying to tap the senior high school because we want to give more value since the diploma is a value for us, but we want to provide more competency as a skill.

We have already identified a minimum of 84 programs that can be integrated into the senior high school tracks. Our goal is truly to produce a multi-skilled Filipino workforce. As for Tesda, we will continue our out-of-school youth programs, as they constitute another segment of our clientele.

Can you tell us about your 10-point agenda for the next six years of your tenure in the agency?

The first point on the agenda is our banner program, Tesda sa Barangay. This aims to give access to scholarships and free training programs among different barangays. The second item on the agenda is a review of Tesda training regulations. This initiative will focus on realigning technical-vocational courses to meet the industry’s demand for local and overseas employment. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been a Tesda program that benefits marginalized sectors, especially in developing their skills and knowledge in different areas.

For the next agenda item, we will prioritize TVET to meet the industry’s demand or a certain area’s locality. The fourth agenda item is compliance and enhanced monitoring. The agency will also regularly inspect Tesda-accredited schools and learning centers to verify their compliance with the existing program registration requirements, certification, and facilities.

In an effort to promote a more efficient and easier way of registering and applying for Tesda scholarship programs, part of my agenda is to enhance the online application.

Additionally, the agency will work on promoting rural enterprise and area development through TVET. This will provide accessibility to Tesda programs for the development of rural areas. Also, part of the 10-point agenda is Youthpreneurship or youth entrepreneurship. Tesda will have a direct partnership with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and other youth organizations in every barangay and locality to develop a process of information dissemination and empower the youth for the development of their skills through Tesda programs and interventions. The eighth initiative we want to implement is the Tesda Industry Exchange Program. This will strengthen the partnership in the continuing training of trainers and students between the industry and Tesda. As the Secretary of Tesda, we will also bring in the Halal TVET, which would open an opportunity to tap the HALAL business world through the introduction and promotion of Halal TVET.

The last and one of the most important items on the agenda is the strengthening and regeneration of the internal structure of the agency. Our leadership will see to it that all departments, divisions, and offices of the agency are reliable and accountable for the management’s trust and confidence in providing the necessary educational needs of students and trainers as well.

Seven months into your tenure, you already have numerous plans for the agency. It appears that you haven’t encountered any major adjustments in your role thus far. Is that an accurate assessment?

(From left) Secretary Mangudadatu, Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham Tolentino, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, First Lady Marie Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta Marcos, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and Ched Chairman Prospero De Vera during the LAB for All program at the Tagaytay International Convention Center in Tagaytay City, Cavite where Tesda beneficiaries were given toolkits, allowances, and scholarship grants.

That’s why I didn’t need to adjust here at Tesda when President Marcos appointed me. I truly appreciate it because it’s been my dream [to do this]. I envisioned how to integrate and ladderize, thinking outside the box.

This is my first time working as an appointed head. I became a mayor at 37, mainly serving in elected public service roles. I’ve always given my best effort. Rest assured, I know what I’m doing. I noticed that DepEd, Ched, and Tesda have operated separately. There hasn’t been much interconnectivity. We need that because we all came from one department, albeit trifocal, for certain programs. But we also need to interconnect due to our clientele, which includes those from lower-income backgrounds served by DepEd and those from average to above-average backgrounds served by CHED.

At the moment, we don’t need new legislation. It’s just a matter of executive decisions by the President or a memorandum circular between DepEd and Tesda, or for the local school board, which could be addressed through an MoU involving Tesda, DepEd, and the DILG to access the local school board for the Barangay Tesda programs.

I hope they allow the integration of TVL into academic tracks. Why don’t they give this a chance? So nevertheless, the first challenge I encountered was during the first two months after my appointment. When I spoke to my deputy, they said that Tesda couldn’t integrate with DepEd, so right there, I faced a problem. So what I did was I created a roadmap and gathered data. When I showed it to them, it turns out it was possible after all.

How do you perceive the current state of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TechVoc)? And what measures are you taking to encourage individuals?

In the past, I used to overlook Tesda because they didn’t conduct proper information drives. Sometimes, others also just copied what courses were offered elsewhere. So now, I am implementing an annual training schedule program. It’s posted, and students know which schools offer what courses. For example, if they’re from Region 1, they already know what courses are available there. The problem with Tesda before was the lack of annual planning, so students didn’t know when classes would open or what courses were offered. There was no annual skill mapping or program. Sometimes, students were unaware that courses were being offered, so they missed out. I need to implement an annual skill schedule program training.

Transparent association communication is also needed, not just with individual schools. I also appeal to all leaders to please give us the opportunity to institutionalize Tesda. Let’s not delay the program because we need to help the Filipino people. Our President is working hard, and we should prepare a multi-skilled Filipino.

What is your ultimate vision for Tesda under your leadership?

My mission is for the country to have to have highly skilled workers and for Tesda to soon be a department. Right now, we’re just an agency.

I am also appealing to DepEd to please allow the TechVoc to be embedded in all the academic strands that they have and, of course, most especially to our President to push this program because I promise to harmonize and give K-12 more value – not just a diploma but additional skills because this will definitely help fulfill the program, “Sama Sama Tayong Babangon Muli.”