Senator Loren Legarda has filed a bill seeking to strengthen and restructure the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, filed Senate Bill (SB) 1413, or the TESDA Modernization Act of 2025, three decades after the enactment of Republic Act 77696 that created TESDA in 1994.

Under SBN 1413, Legarda proposed to align TESDA’s mandate with the principles of lifelong learning, higher-level skills development, and the pursuit of 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 in a news release on Monday.

“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 establishes a Board of Advisers 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 grants the Director General, who will have the rank of Secretary, broader authority to rationalize the Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system by upgrading, merging, or phasing out programs that no longer meet industry needs, and by devolving community-based training to local government units.

The bill also reorganizes the TESDA Secretariat into specialized offices for planning, standards-setting, accreditation, enterprise-based education, and local skills development. It 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 financing mechanisms will be strengthened through reforms to the TESDA Development Fund, the institutionalization of scholarship grants, and the introduction of systematic funding schemes such as levy-grant systems. Regular independent performance reviews will 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 measure reflects her continuing advocacy for 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.” (PNA)