EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. B. No. 1604
E-FILED
in date: June 182020
02:06 pm
th.ie:
N£>t X
BILLS
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT ESTABLISHING TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS 
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT 
CENTERS IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF BAYOG AND GUIPOS IN THE 
PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1 mandates that: "The 
State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels 
and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all." Section 2 
of the same Article declares that the State shall "Establish, maintain, and support a 
complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the 
people and society."
Currently, the Provincial Office and Training Center of TESDA are located in 
Pagadian City, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur. The people from remote 
municipalities of the province still need to travel approximately 77 kilometers in order 
to attain TESDA's programs. The Municipalities of Bayog and Guipos is strategically 
located at the heart of the 2nd District of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur.
The objective of this bill is to establish a Training and Assessment Centers In 
the Municipalities of Bayog and Guipos In the Province of Zamboanga del Sur pursuant 
to the policy of the State. Furthermore, this measure aims to improve the knowledge 
and technical skills of the residents of Zamboanga del Sur.
In view, of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
c h .
IMEE R. MARCOS


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. B. No. 1604
„ RECEIVED 5
.5^* E-FILED
June 18 2020 rn
lui date:,
iCO
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
02:06 pm
s
time:
AN ACT ESTABLISHING TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS 
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT 
CENTERS IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF BAYOG AND GUIPOS IN THE 
PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Bayog and Guipos
2 
TESDA Training and Assessment Centers Act."
3 
Sec. 2. Establishment - There are hereby established Technical Education and
4 
Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Centers in the
5 
municipalities of Bayog and Guipos in the Second Legislative District of the Province
6 
of Zamboanga del Sur, under the supervision of the TESDA, to be known individually
7 
as: (a) Bayog Training and Assessment Center and (b) Guipos Training and
8 
Assessment Center.
9 
Sec. 3. Genera! Mandate. - The two (2) TESDA Training and Assessment
10 
Centers, hereinafter referred to as the Centers, shall primarily provide technical-
11 
vocational training and skills development programs to ^udents and residents from
12 
low-income families and out-of-school youths, including college dropouts and persons
13 
with disabilities, in the municipalities of Bayog and Guipos and the adjacent localities
14 
of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur geared towards the acquisition of practical
15 
livelihood, employable skills, gainful employment, and entrepreneurship.
16 
The Centers shall help train local residents to become productive, self-reliant
17 
and globally competitive middle to high-level skilled labor force to hasten the social
18 
and economic development of these areas, in particular, and to meet the manpower
19 
needs of both local and international labor markets, in general.
20 
The Centers shall consider in the design of relevant technical-vocational training
21 
programs to be offered thereat a competency assessment of the socioeconomic
22 
profile, employment conditions and opportunities, business climate, market and
23 
industry potentials, resources available and presence of support structures, including
24 
the literacy level and skills readiness, and the overall development within the host


1 
areas and adjacent communities within the operational radius of the Centers
2 
established therein. The Centers shall also consider the relevant skills trade
3 
competencies, craftsmanship training programs, and entrepreneurship activities
4 
needed to deliver the effective employment and development interventions required
5 
to make these areas as human resource and productivit/ hubs.
6 
The Centers shall also serve as TESDA-accredited Assessment Center for
7 
acquired competencies in technical-vocational skills In the municipalities of Bayog and
8 
Gulpos, and in the adjacent areas and localities In the Province of Zamboanga del Sur.
9 
Preference in admission shall be given to the most disadvantaged citizens,
10 
including persons with disabilities, and the most economically depressed areas of the
11 
municipalities of Bayog and Guipos of the Second Legislative District, and of the
12 
adjacent localities of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur within the operational radius
13 
of the Centers.
14 
The Centers shall, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd)
15 
and the TESDA, offer relevant teachers' training assistance and curriculum design to
16 
the secondary schools providing the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track under
17 
the K to 12 Program of the DepEd in the municipalities of Bayog and Gulpos,
18 
respectively, and in the adjacent areas and localities of the Province of Zamboanga
19 
del Sur within the operational radius of the Centers.
20 
Sec. 4. Training Programs. - The Centers shall offer diverse short-term
21 
certificate courses and modular trainings in relevant technical-vocational skills and
22 
trade specialization to comply with employment standards in preferred and emerging
23 
market-driven labor opportunities, and shall likewise give premium efforts to skills
24 
specialization for local market employment requirements geared towards achieving
25 
the development of a robust inclusive economy within the host areas and each of the
26 
adjacent localities and communities within the operational radius of the Centers, in
27 
consultation with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of
28 
Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST),
29 
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and
30 
Development Authority (NEDA), business-industry partners, and such other relevant
31 
agencies, both local and international.
32 
The Centers may establish, as deemed necessary and practicable, research and
33 
technology hubs, technology development farms, mobile training programs, and
34 
satellite to extension training centers in priority areas throughout the Province of
35 
Zamboanga del Sur within the service radius of the Centers to strengthen linkages
36 
among the industry, the academe and the Centers.
37 
To address the development and manpower needs of the two (2) host
38 
municipalities and the adjacent localities and communities in the Province of
39 
Zamboanga del Sur within the Centers' service access, the Centers shall offer the
40 
following TESDA-registered technical-vocational training programs with competencies
41 
assessment leading to National Certification Levels I-III:
42 
(a) Skills training in industrial technology and hard trade such as metal and steel
43 
works, machine fabrication and operation, heavy equipment operation,
44 
automotive mechanic, refrigeration and air conditioning, electronics and


1 
operation of power tools and equipment for both medium skills grade and
2 
Industrial purposes;
3 
(b) Agriculture-related trainings and farm skills development in such areas as
4 
farming technology and farm operations, backyard farming and home- based
5 
aquaculture and propagation innovations, mechanized farm tools and
6 
equipment operations, agri-business and agri-trade technology and
7 
innovations, and relevant farmers trainings for increased productivity and
8 
entrepreneurship;
9 
(c) Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment and
10 
small-scale entrepreneurship (including practical skills education in crafts and
11 
arts), workmanship and designing (such as fabric, woodworks, jewelry and
12 
metal works), high speed sewing, dressmaking and tailoring, agriculture and
13 
farm technology, horticulture, livestock raising and breeding, food processing
14 
technology, home technology, culinary arts and commercial cooking (such as
15 
baking), beauty culture (including cosmetology and hair and nail styling) and
16 
health and wellness training;
17 
(d) Basic business literacy training in financial management and marketing,
18 
practical accountancy, bookkeeping and office procedures, business processes
19 
and application procedures including registration, licensing, documentation,
20 
business patent and intellectual property regulation, business financing and
21 
investment opportunities sourcing, import-export accreditation, including online
22 
home-based business operation and use of social media business marketing;
23 
(e) Technical-vocational occupation and trades skills such as carpentry, masonry,
24 
plumbing, welding, practical electricity and installation, automotive servicing,
25 
electronics servicing, personal computer (PC) servicing, and such other relevant
26 
practical skills courses;
27 
(f) Computer literacy and information technology (IT)-related skills, digital
28 
technology, web design, animation, photoshop/online photography, computer
29 
design, and advertisingSB
30 
(g) Social communication skills development, language proficiency courses In
31 
English and other language for business process outsourcing (call center)
32 
employment and overseas job placement;
33 
(h) Seminars in personality development, career counseling and job placement,
34 
work ethics and values; and
35 
(i) Other preferred priority skills and trade training that may be needed by the
36 
people of the municipalities of Bayog and Gulpos, and the adjacent localities of
37 
the Province of Zamboanga del Sur to enhance their capacities for practical
38 
livelihood, gainful employment, and entrepreneurial activities.
39 
Sec. 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. - The provisions of this Act
40 
notwithstanding, the Centers herein established shall become operationally effective
41 
only upon the determination and declaration of the TESDA, through the issuance of a
42 
formal recommendation and certificate of compliance, that the Centers have
43 
satisfactorily complied with the minimum requirements for quality standards


1 
prescribed by the TESDA governing the following competency assessment: (a)
2 
standard procedures and guidelines (SPGS) for the establishment and Center; (b)
3 
operational sustainability of the Centers established herein, in terms of licensed
4 
faculty-trainers and personnel, equipment, training and laboratory facilities,
5 
instructional materials, and other standard requirements as a Center; (c) sustainable
6 
funding source and allocation of budget requirement of the Centers herein established;
7 
(d) assurance that the training programs offered are duly aligned with the minimum
8 
standards of competency-based quality technical-vocational skills technology and the
9 
needs of the host sites and adjacent localities served in the operation of a context of
10 
the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Philippine Qualification
11 
Framework (PQF) for technical-vocational education; and (e) compliance with such
12 
other TESDA conditionalities and standards in establishing a Center as may be
13 
necessary and applicable.
14 
Sec. 6. Administration. - Each of the Centers herein established shall be
15 
headed by a Technical-Vocational Administrator, under the Supervision of the TESDA,
16 
who shall render full-time services and be responsible for the administration and
17 
operation of each of the Centers.
18 
The Technical-Vocational Administrator of each of the Centers shall be
19 
appointed by the TESDA Director General in accordance with Civil Service Commission
20 
rules and regulations and qualification requirements for such office.
21 
The Technical-Vocational Administrator of each of the Centers shall enter into
22 
mutual agreements with locally-based private and public counterpart agencies or
23 
instrumentalities and persons, subject to the approval by the TESDA Director General,
24 
for such assistance as may be necessary to effectively implement this Act.
25 
Sec. 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement the provisions
26 
of this Act, and its continued Implementation thereafter, shall be included in the annual
27 
General Appropriations Act.
28 
The Local Government Units concerned, in consultation with the TESDA, shall
29 
likewise set aside from any available local revenue an amount deemed appropriate as
30 
annual counterpart fund to support the operation of the Centers herein established.
31 
Sec. 8. Impiementing Ruies and Reguiations. - Within ninety (90) days from the
32 
approval of this Act, the TESDA, in coordination with the DOLE, the DTI, the DOST,
33 
the NEDA, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the DILG, the
34 
concerned LGUS, and such other relevant agencies and industry-business partners of
35 
the host locality shall prepare and issue the necessary rules and regulations for the
36 
implementation of this Act.
37 
Sec. 9. Separabiiity Ciause. - If any portion or provision of this act is declared
38 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall
39 
remain In force and effect.
40 
Sec. 10. Repeaiing Ciause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or
41 
other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
42 
repealed or amended accordingly.
43 
Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
44 
publication in the Official Gazette or In a newspaper of general circulation.
4


Approved,