Manila: Solid North partylist Rep. Ching Bernos on Monday urged the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to fine-tune their process to ensure that more poor and disadvantaged Filipinos benefit from its programs. The lawmaker made the call as a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found that the number of poor beneficiaries participating in TESDA training had declined between 2018 and 2022.

According to Philippines News Agency, in its 'Assessing the Effectiveness of TESDA Scholarship Programs in Targeting the Poor' study, PIDS also noted that the 2022 regional distribution of scholarship budgets does not necessarily align with regions with high poverty incidence, where most disadvantaged scholars are located. In a statement, Bernos highlighted the need to properly identify target beneficiaries of TESDA's various technical and vocational education and training programs.

Bernos stated that many view TESDA training as a critical opportunity for employment, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that those who could benefit most from such interventions are the ones who receive training. She noted that these programs could provide out-of-school youth, informal workers, and the unemployed with the chance to secure jobs amid increasing competition.

Bernos echoed the PIDS' recommendation that TESDA use poverty databases maintained by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (Listahanan) and the Philippine Identification System to verify applicants' eligibility and willingness to see the training through. As these lists have already been vetted, TESDA could use them to counter-check against their own system to ensure proper targeting of beneficiaries.

The lawmaker also called on TESDA to regularly coordinate with industries and local governments to ensure that its course offerings align with labor market needs. She stressed the importance of updating course offerings to keep pace with technological changes, so the skills taught remain relevant to trainees.