TESDA modernization bill seeks future-ready Filipino workforce

Senator Loren Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 1413, or the TESDA Modernization Act of 2025, to restructure and strengthen the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), whose charter has remained largely unchanged since its creation in 1994.

Thirty years after the passage of Republic Act No. 7796, or the TESDA Act of 1994, Legarda said the agency must evolve to meet the changing needs of education and the labor market.

The proposed measure aims to align TESDA’s mandate with the principles of lifelong learning, higher-level skills development, and a quality-assured Filipino workforce.

“Our people must be equipped with the right skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world of work,” Legarda said. “This bill will ensure that TESDA delivers high-quality and relevant training that helps Filipinos build better futures for themselves and their families.”

The bill creates a Board of Advisers to serve as TESDA’s policy and oversight body, composed of the Director General, key cabinet secretaries, the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, and representatives from the private sector.

It also gives the Director General, who will hold the rank of Secretary, greater authority to rationalize the Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system by upgrading, merging, or phasing out outdated programs, and by devolving community-based training to local governments.

Under the measure, TESDA’s Secretariat will be reorganized into specialized offices for planning, standards-setting, accreditation, enterprise-based education, and local skills development.

It also institutionalizes alternative systems such as recognition of prior learning, micro-credentials, and digital badges to validate informal or non-traditional training and promote lifelong learning.

TESDA’s funding will be strengthened through reforms to the TESDA Development Fund, institutionalized scholarship programs, and systematic funding mechanisms such as levy-grant systems.

Regular independent performance reviews will be mandated to ensure transparency and accountability.

“TESDA must evolve with industry standards,” Legarda said. “We have one of the most skilled and hardworking workforces in the world, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they remain employable, adaptable, and ready for the future.”

Legarda, co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) and recipient of the National TESDA Kabalikat Award 2021 under the Legislative Category, said the bill underscores her commitment to accessible technical education and sustainable livelihoods.

“Modernizing TESDA is about dignity through work,” she said. “It ensures that every Filipino has the skills to build a stable and productive life.”