ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DepEd, TESDA team up to boost quality of SHS TechPro programs

DepEd, TESDA team up to boost quality of SHS TechPro programs

Agencies strengthen partnership to align technical-vocational training with industry standards and ensure work readiness of graduates

Published Oct 6, 2025 10:08 am
DepEd and TESDA signed a new agreement to enhance the Senior High School TechPro track, aligning technical-vocational programs with TESDA standards to improve graduate employability and industry readiness. (DepEd / file photo)
DepEd and TESDA signed a new agreement to enhance the Senior High School TechPro track, aligning technical-vocational programs with TESDA standards to improve graduate employability and industry readiness. (DepEd / file photo)
The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to enhance the quality of technical-vocational education offered under the Senior High School (SHS) program.

Signed by DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and TESDA Director-General Jose Francisco Benitez, the partnership aims to quality-assure the enhanced Technical Professional (TechPro) track in SHS to better equip Filipino learners with industry-relevant skills and strengthen their readiness for employment or further education.

“Our goal has always been to ensure that every Senior High School graduate is equipped not just with knowledge but with real-world skills,” Angara said. “This partnership with TESDA is a critical step in fulfilling that promise,” he added.

Benitez highlighted TESDA’s crucial role in ensuring that the skills taught in schools meet labor market needs.

“By embedding our Training Regulations and certification processes directly into the Senior High School system, we are creating a seamless pathway for students from education to employment,” Benitez said. “This collaboration carves the path for industries to have a pipeline of skilled talent ready to contribute from day one,” he added.

The collaboration addresses the long-standing mismatch between DepEd’s SHS programs and TESDA’s technical-vocational guidelines—an issue flagged by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

EDCOM 2 has repeatedly called for stronger alignment between the two agencies and increased funding to support SHS–TVL assessments.
According to the EDCOM 2 Year Two Report, about 53.9 percent of SHS graduates proceed to higher education, while many enter the workforce directly—often in the private or informal sectors.

A 2023 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) also found that SHS graduates earn higher wages and are more likely to secure middle-skill jobs compared to junior high school graduates.

Under the agreement, DepEd will:

- Identify and endorse SHS TechPro teachers for enrollment in TESDA’s Trainers Methodology I (TM I) program;

- Develop and update learning resources in consultation with TESDA; and

- Ensure SHS learners undergo national certification assessments aligned with TESDA standards.

TESDA, for its part, will:

-Offer flexible teacher training options (both online and in-person);

-Provide technical assistance to align DepEd’s curricula with official Training Regulations; and

-Participate in joint monitoring of SHS TechPro program implementation.

Both agencies will also collaborate in mapping technical-vocational institutions to strategically expand the Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP), allowing students to access a wider range of TVET electives.

A Joint Technical Working Group (JTWG) will oversee the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of initiatives under the MOA, which will remain in effect for three years. The enhanced SHS TechPro offerings are set to roll out by June 2026.

Through this strengthened partnership, DepEd and TESDA aim to create a more responsive and integrated Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system that ensures every SHS graduate is globally competitive and ready for the future of work.

Related Tags

DepEd TESDA SHS TechPro Senior High School TVL TVET Philippines Sonny Angara Kiko Benitez
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.