TAGUIG CITY -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is encouraging the public to enroll in technical vocational education and training (TVET) programs that have been properly registered with the agency.

“All TVET programs open to the public must first be registered with TESDA.  This is to ensure that these programs strictly comply with TESDA regulations and existing training regulations,” said TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz.

Under TESDA’s Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS) a Certificate of TVET Program Registration (CTPR) is issued to institutions that successfully comply with the requirements of program registration.

Officially registered TVET programs are listed in the TESDA Compendium of Registered Programs and are subjected to compliance audits.  In instances of complaints, surveillance audits may also be conducted.  Corresponding sanctions and penalties will be imposed on institutions that are found to be operating without accreditation

“Our website has a searchable database of all duly registered programs being implemented in tech-voc institutions nationwide.  We urge the public to confirm first with this list before enrolling to avoid inconvenience,” Cruz pointed out.  

The database may be accessed through this link: https://www.tesda.gov. ph/tvi.

Graduates of unregistered training programs cannot be issued with corresponding Special Orders, according to Deputy Director General Aniceto Bertiz III, pointing out that their credentials cannot be certificated, authenticated, or verified by TESDA.

In addition, he continued, a graduate of an unregistered program cannot apply for the Apostille of their training records or credentials with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which will be required should the graduate apply for a job abroad.

“Education and training require a lot of time and effort from our students and trainees.  Enrolling in unaccredited institutions and programs may not be beneficial to their professional advancement,” Bertiz added.

To date, about 17,557 training programs have been duly registered with TESDA and are being implemented by 4,600 public and private schools and training centers across the country.

It usually takes three working days for TESDA to issue a CTPR, provided that all documentary requirements have been sufficiently complied with and submitted.  A registration fee of PhP 2,000 is paid by the applicant institution for every program to be registered. (TESDA)