BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) targets to provide 1.8 million Filipinos with technical – vocational education and training through scholarship programs this 2023.

 TESDA Director General Danilo Cruz announced this   at the opening program of the 2 – day  Operational Planning Zonal Conference, “A – Whole – of – Agency Approach on the Implementation of the TESDA Scholarship Programs” for officials of TESDA Luzon A (Regions 1, 2, 3 and CAR)  on Thursday(Jan. 19) at Hotel Elizabeth, here.

Cruz congratulated the whole TESDA family for reaching 1,000,261 enrollees and 1,000,231 graduates, as well as providing assessment to 907,224 tech – voc graduates and national certification to 907,222 in year 2022.

In surmounting the challenges to achieve the 2023 targets, Cruz enjoined the  participants to continue working together in improving the delivery of Technical – Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarship programs that will greatly help improve the lives of the Filipino people.

In support to  the present administration’s economic agenda on the creation of quality jobs by increasing employability, TESDA has been continuously innovating service delivery, processes and strategies to better serve and provide assistance to the Filipinos,Cruz said.

“Relative to our mandate, it is very clear that the agency will play a major role in achieving this vision. With the wisdom of the President, Executive Order No. 5 Series of 2022 was issued, transferring the supervision of TESDA back to the Department of Labor and Employment. TESDA shall work with the DOLE to provide more skills training, employment and livelihood.”

“Let us continue to be creative and innovative. Let us all work together and keep our focus on our mission and remain steadfast on our mandate for the Filipinos better tomorrow,” Cruz stressed.

The operational planning conference here is the first of  four  zonal conferences that TESDA will be conducting.

Cruz was joined onsite by Deputy – Director Generals Aniceto “John Bertiz III and Rosanna Urdaneta and other executive directors/officials from the central office. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)