Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu on Tuesday, Feb. 27, bemoaned the lack of technology-based skills of Filipinos as the agency readies to equip them with knowledge about handling higher-level technologies.

TESDA Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu (right) and Deputy Director General for Policies and Planning Rossana Urdaneta (center) during the sectoral meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024.(Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)

The official said this during a Palace press briefing after a sectoral meeting with President Marcos as TESDA is set to begin delving into preparing Filipinos with technology-based skills so they can be ready for the “job for the future.”

“Ang kulang sa atin iyong (What we lack is) technology, that is why (unclear) for the technology, the job for the future, like iyong (the) a cyber-security program, mechatronics, semiconductors, iyong po ang pino-focus po natin (that is our focus) right now,” he noted.

The agency serves as the Philippines’ Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) authority, and is mandated to develop short courses to hone technicals skills that Mangudadatu claimed are being recognized worldwide.

With the review of the current K-12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd), Mangudadatu believes there will be more space for the agency to reach out to Filipinos who need to be equipped with skills in robotics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

“Kasi (Because) we are now focusing on technologies, the job for the future. So, kung ma-decongest po natin (if we can decongest) some other programs or courses, put the CHED to the local government, then the TESDA now, will focus on the technology that we have,” he said, citing the “expensive” laboratories needed for robotic or mechatronics, semiconductors or electrical vehicles, subway, railway, and others.

Although TESDA will continue providing courses in the “generic areas,” such as electro-mechanical, electrical, construction, and welding, Deputy Director General for Policies and Planning Rossana Urdaneta stressed the need for other high-level skills needed in the modern industries.

“However, hindi ho tayo dapat magtapos noon, dahil kailangan mas higher iyong level ng qualifications kasi ang dami pong requirements na ngayon ng mundo ‘di ba (we cannot end there, because we need higher level requirements because the world has many requirements now, right),” the official explained.

“When we say mundo global ang perspective eh (When we say world, it’s a global perspective), we should think local but we have also to act on a certain level na global na rin iyong ano natin ng mga requirements (that our requirements will also be global),” she added.

Citing Mangudadatu, Urdaneta also underscored TESDA’s interest in artificial intelligence.

“The Secretary is pushing for this, cyber security sa dami po nangyayari na mga hacking ngayon, kailangan na ma-train natin in all flaunts ang ating mga kababayan (in all the hacking happening these days, we need to train our people in all flaunts),” she said.

Equipping Filipinos with these skills will not be limited to TESDA learners, however, because Urdaneta shared that Marcos wants government workers to learn about handling AI and cybersecurity.