Brief History of TESDA The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known as the "Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994", which was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on August 25, 1994. This Act aims to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units and technical-vocati tec hnical-vocational onal institutions in the skills sk ills development of the country's human resources. The merging of the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), and The Apprenticeship Apprenticeship Program Progra m of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) of the DOLE gave birth to TESDA. The fusion of the above offices was one of the key recommendations of the 1991 Report of the Congressional Commission on Education, which undertook undertook a national national review of the t he state of Philippine education and manpower development. It was meant to reduce overlapping in skills development activities initiated by various public and private sector agencies, and to provide national directions for the country's co untry's technical-vocational technical-vocational education and training (TVET) (TVE T) system. Hence, a major thrust of TESDA TESD A is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan shall provide for a reformed industry-based training program that includes apprenticeship, apprenticeship, dual training system and a nd other similar schemes. TESDA is mandated to:
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Integrate, coordinate and monitor skills development de velopment programs; Restructure efforts to promote and develop middle-level manpower; Approve skills standards and tests; Develop an accreditation system for institutions institutions involved in middle-level manpower development; 5. Fund programs and projects for technical education and skills development; and 6. Assist trainers training programs. At the same time, TESDA is expected to: y
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Devolve training functions to local governments; Reform the apprenticeship program; Involve industry/employers in skills training; Formulate a skills s kills development plan; Develop and administer training tra ining incentives; Organize skills competitions; and Manage skills development funds.
Overall, TESDA formulates manpower and skills plans, sets s ets appropriate skills standards and tests, coordinates and monitors manpower policies and programs, and provides policy directions and guidelines for resource allocation for the TVET institutions in both the private and public sectors. Today, TESDA has evolved into an organization that is responsive, effective and efficient in delivering myriad services to its clients. To accompli acco mplish sh its multi-pronged mission, the TESDA Board has been formulating strategies and programs geared towards yielding the highest impact on manpower development in various areas, industry sectors and a nd institutions.
CHED Background The Commission on Higher Education is the governing body covering both public and private higher education institutions as well as degree-granting programs in all tertiary educational institutions in the Philippines. The CHED was established in May 18, 1994 through Republic Act 7722 or the Higher Education Act of 1994. Mandate Pursuant to RA 7722, the CHED is mandated to undertake t he following tasks: y y y
Promote quality education Take appropriate steps to ensure that education shall be accessible to all Ensure and protect academic freedom for the continuing intellectual growth, the advancement of learning and research, the development of responsible and effective leadership, the education of high level professionals, and the enrichment o f historical and cultural heritage.
Organizational
Structure The Commission en banc acts as a collegial body in formulating plans, policies and strategies relating to higher education and the operation of the CHED. It is composed of five full-time members, the chairman and four commissioners, each having a term of office of four years. Directory of CHED
Officials
Medium-Term Development Plan for Higher Education
The Medium-Term Development Plan for Higher Education (MTDPHE) 2005-2010 as a successor plan for the Medium-Term Higher Education Development and Invest ment Plan (MTHEDIP) 2001-2004, provides a road map for higher education in the country and defines the policy framework and thrusts of the sub-sector in the next six years. The successor Plan directly addresses the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2005-2010 and President Arroyo¶s 10-Point Agenda, specifically in terms of reduc ing poverty by providing greater educational opportunities for the youth; mobilizing knowledge to improve productivity through generation, transfer and utilization of research outputs/technologies; and supporting bureaucratic and fiscal reform.
DEPED The Education Act of 1982 created the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sp orts which later became the Department of Education, Culture and Sports in 1987 by virtue of Executive Order No. 117. The structure of DECS as embodied in EO No. 117 has practically remained unchanged until 1994 when the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and 1995 when the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) were established to supervise tertiary degree programs and no n-degree technical-vocational programs, respectively. The Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) report provided the impetus for Congress to pass RA 7722 and RA 7796 in 1994 creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), respectively. The trifocal education system refocused DECS¶ mandate to basic education which covers elementary, secondary and nonformal education, including culture and sports. TESDA now ad ministers the post-secondary, middle-level manpower training and development while CHED is responsible for higher education. In August 2001, Republic Act 9155, otherwise called the Governance of Basic Educat ion Act, was passed transforming the name of the Department of Educat ion, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department of Education (DepEd) and redefining the ro le of field offices (regional offices, division offices, district offices and schools). RA 9155 provides the overall framework for (i) school head empowerment by strengthening the ir leadership roles and (ii) school-based management within the co ntext of transparency and local accountability. The goal of basic education is to provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens.
