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Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO, 2377

Introduced by Honorable Luz V. Mercado

EXPLANATORY NOTE
The shortage of skilled workers nationwide is also being felt in
Southern Leyte province. The only solution for this problem is to come up with a
training program that will produce skilled workers in as short as six (6) months to
two (2) years.

For this purpose, a training facility should be established in Maasin
City to cater for the need of skilled workers in the whole Province of
Southern Leyte.

Therefore, passage of this bill is hereby being eamestly sought,

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LUZ VERANO MERCADO


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Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2377

Introduced by Honorable Luz V. Mercado

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER
IN THE CITY OF MAASIN, PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE, TO BE KNOWN
AS THE MAASIN CITY TESDA TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Maasin City TESDA.
Training and Assessment Center Act".

SECTION 2. Establishment, There is hereby established a Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center in a highly
accessible area in the City of Maasin, Province of Southem Leyte, under the supervision of the
TESDA, to be known as the Maasin City TESDA Training and Assessment Center.

SECTION 3. General Mandate. The Maasin City TESDA Training and Assessment
Center, hereinafter referred to as the Center, shall primarily provide technical-vocational
training and skills development programs to students and residents from low-income families
and out-of-school youths, including college dropouts and persons with disabilities (PWDs), in


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Maasin City and the neighboring communities in the Province of Southern Leyte, geared
towards the acquisition of practical livelihood, employable skills, gainful employment, and
entrepreneurship.

The Center shall help train local residents to become productive, self-reliant and
globally competitive middle to high-level skilled labor force to hasten the social and economic
development of these areas, in particular, and to meet the manpower needs of both local and
international labor markets, in general.

The Center shall consider in the design of relevant technical-vocational training
programs to be offered thereat a competency assessment of the socioeconomic profile,
employment conditions and opportunities, business climate, market and industry potentials,
resources available and presence of support structures, including the literacy level and skills
readiness, and the overall development of the host area and adjacent communities within the
operational radius of the Center established herein. The Center shall also consider the relevant
skills trade competencies, craftsmanship training programs, and entrepreneurship activities
needed to deliver the effective employment and development interventions required to make
these areas as human resource and productivity hubs.

The Center shall also serve as a TESDA-accredited Assessment Center for acquired
competencies in technical vocational skills in Maasin City and other municipalities of the
Province of Southern Leyte.

Preference in admission, however, shall be given to the most disadvantaged citizens,
including PWDs, and to the most economically depressed areas of Maasin City, Province of
Southern Leyte, within the operational radius of the Center.

The Center shall, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the
TESDA, render relevant teachers’ training assistance and curriculum design to the secondary
schools offering technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track under the K-to-12 program of the
Deped in Maasin City and the other municipalities in the Province of Southern Leyte.

SECTION 4. Training Programs. — The Center shall offer diverse short-term
certificates courses and modular trainings in relevant technical-vocational skills and trades
specialization to comply with employment standards in preferred market-driven labor
opportunities, but shall likewise give premium efforts to skills specialization for local market
employment requirements geared towards achieving the development of a robust inclusive
economy within the host area and each of the adjacent localities and communities within the
operational radius of the Center, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology

(DOST), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and

Development Authority (VEDA), business-industry partners, and other relevant agencies, both
local and international

The Center may establish, as deemed necessary and practicable, research and
technology hubs, mobile training programs, and satellite or extension training centers in
priority areas throughout Maasin City within the service radius of the Center to strengthen
linkages among the industry, the academe, and the technology programs thereat,


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To address the development and manpower needs of Maasin City and the other adjacent
localities of the Province of Southern Leyte, the Center shall offer the following TESDA-
registered technical-vocational training programs with the competencies assessment leading to
‘National Certification Levels I-IIT

(a) Skills training in industrial technology and hard trades such as metal and steel
works, machine fabrication and operation, heavy equipment operation, automotive
mechanic, refrigeration and air conditioning, electronics, and operation of power
tools and equipment for both medium skills grade and industrial purposes

(b) Agriculture-related trainings and farm skills development in such areas as farming

‘technology and farm operations, backyard farming and home-based aquaculture and
propagation innovations, mechanized farm tools and equipment operations,

agribusiness and agri-trade technology and innovations, and relevant farmers’
trainings for increased productivity and entrepreneurship;

(c) Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment and small
scale entrepreneurship, including practical skills education in crafts and arts,
workmanship and designing (such as fabric, woodworks, jewelry and metal works)
high-speed sewing, dressmaking and tailoring, horticulture, livestock raising and
breeding, food processing technology, home technology, culinary arts and
commercial cooking (such as baking), beauty culture (including cosmetology and
hair and nail styling), and health and wellness training;

(@) Basic business literacy training in financial management and marketing, practical
accountancy, bookkeeping, and office procedures, business processes and
application procedures including registration, licensing, documentation, business

patent and intellectual property regulation, business financing and investment
opportunities sourcing, import-export accreditation, including online home-based
business operation and use of social media business marketing,

(e) Technical-vocational occupation and trade skills such as carpentry, masonry,
plumbing, welding, practical electricity and installation, automotive servicing,
electronics servicing, personal computer (PC) servicing, and such other relevant

practical skills courses;

(f) Computer Literacy and Information Technology (IT)-related skills, digital
technology, web design, animation, photoshop/online photography, computer

design, and advertising,

(g) Social communication skills development, language proficiency courses in English
and other language for business process outsourcing (call center) employment and

overseas job placement;

(h) Seminars in personality development, career counselling and job placement, work
ethic and values, and;

(i) Other preferred priority skills trades training that may be needed by the people of
Maasin City and relevant as well to the needs of the areas in the Province of

Southern Leyte to enhance their capacities for practical livelihood, gainful
employment, and entrepreneurship skills.


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SECTION 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. - The provisions of this Act
notwithstanding, the Center established herein shall become operationally effective only upon
the determination and declaration of the TESDA, through the issuance of a formal
recommendation and certificate of compliance, that the Center has satisfactorily complied with
the minimum requirements for quality standards prescribed by the TESDA governing the
following competency assessment: (a) standard procedures and guidelines (SPGs) for the
establishment and operation of a Center; (b) operational sustainability of the Center established
herein, in terms of licensed faculty-trainers and personnel, equipment, training and laboratory

facilities, instructional materials, and other standard requirements as a Center; (c) sustainable
funding source and allocation of budget requirement of the Center hereto established; (d)
assurance that the training programs offered are fully aligned with the minimum standards of
competency-based quality technical-vocational skills technology and the needs of the host area
and adjacent communities served in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and Philippine Qualification Framework (PQF) for technical-vocational education;
and (e) compliance with such other TESDA conditionality and standards in establishing a
Center, as may be necessary and applicable.

SECTION 6. Administration. The Center shall be headed by a Technical-Vocational
Administrator, under the supervision of the TESDA, who shalll render full-time services and be
responsible for the administration and operation of the Center

The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall be appointed by the TESDA Director
General in accordance with civil service rules and regulations and the qualification
requirements for such office.

The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall enter into mutual agreements with
locally-based private and public counterpart agencies or instrumentalities and persons, subject
to approval by the TESDA Director General, for such assistance as may be necessary to
effectively implement this Act.

SECTION 7. Appropriations. The amount necessary to implement the provisions of
this Act, and its continued implementation thereafter, shall be included in the annual General

Appropriations Act.

The concerned local government unit (LGU), in consultation with the TESDA, shall
likewise set aside from any available local revenue an amount deemed appropriate as annual
counterpart fund to support the operation of the Maasin City TESDA Training and Assessment
Center established herein.

SECTION 8. /mplementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days after the
approval of this Act, the TESDA shall, in coordination with the DOLE, DTI, DOST, NEDA,
Department of Budget and Management (DBM), DILG, the concerned LGUs and such other

relevant agencies and industry-business partners of the host locality, prepare and issue the
necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act.


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SECTION 9. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any section or provision of this
Act shall be deemed unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall
not be affected and shall remain in force and effect

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions,
rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed or amended accordingly

SECTION 11. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,