TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- Some eight schools accredited by the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) 8 as its partner learning institutions slugged it out in a two-day skills tourney.

“You are not competing against each other, but you are competing against standards,” Engr. Gamaliel B. Vicente Jr., TESDA-8 regional director, shared these words to the competitors as he officially opened on Thursday, August 3,  the two-day 2023 Leyte Provincial Skills Competition at JE Mondejar Computer College, Naga-Naga, this city.

This means that one has to achieve the scores set by the standards of the World Skills International in order to win in the competition.

The eight (8) competitors will display their skills in the 10 trade areas.

Among the competitors are:   Shine Ragonot of JE Mondejar Computer College Inc. and Kaizz Henley P. Respecio of the Western Leyte College of Ormoc City for Baking; Justine Kate Lino of ACLC College of Tacloban and Alyana Marie A. Guiron of Northridge Institute of Business and Technology Inc. for Graphic Design Technology;   

Paulo Palanas of ACLC College of Tacloban and Nixon Marc Enerez of ACLC College of Ormoc for IT Network Systems Administration; Aldem Aldrick G. Almaden of STEFTI Technical Vocational Center and Johnrey A. Marilao for SDMF Skills Development for Maintenance and Fabrication for Plumbing and Heating;   

Nathan Ganniel Laure, Robert John B. Migallos, and Christian T. Pulminar of the Regional Training Center Tacloban for Automotive Technology; James Lourd Dean G. Otic of JE Mondejar Computer College Inc. and Anthon John C. Hidalgo of Western Leyte College of Ormoc Inc. for Restaurant Services;

Antonie Liezel L. Pacantara of JE Mondejar Computer College Inc. and Joshua Benedict P. Bisnar of Western Leyte College of Ormoc for Cooking; Josh Fretzen Ragas of ACLC College of Ormoc and Lemuel Diaz of ACLC College of Tacloban and Jhoe Alfe Mario S. Bagtong of Northridge Institute of Business and Technology Inc. for Web Technologies; 

And Luciano Floren N. Bacarisas of the Regional Training Center Tacloban for Welding and Cristhan Dave Galanza Espiritu of ACLC College of Tacloban for IT Software Solutions for Business. 

Director Vicente said those who will win in this competition will compete at the regional level next month, September, for the 2023 Regional Skills Competition.

The winners in the regional competition will compete in the national level and eventually in the ASEAN competition to represent the country.

The conduct of the skills competition aims to promote and develop skills among the participants to prepare them in the international skills competition. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)