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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 972 
Introduced by Representative Ivan Howard A. Guintu 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 7796 provides that it is the policy of the State to provide relevant, accessible, 
high quality, and efficient technical education and skills development in support of the development of 
high-quality Filipino middle-level manpower responsive to and in accordance with Philippine development 
goals and priorities. 
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 12,370 unemployed individuals in the 
Province of Capiz in 2020, equivalent to an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent. This is higher than the 2.3 
percent recorded in 2019. 
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aims to equip our technical-
vocational graduates with the technical education and skills development that would prepare them to be 
self-reliant, productive, and employable. Technical-vocational graduates would then be part of the working 
force of the province of Capiz and shall be ready to actively participate in building efficient and progressive 
communities. 
In order to lower the unemployment rate in the province of Capiz, this bill seeks to establish a 
TESDA Skills and Accreditation Center in the Municipality of Pontevedra. Neighboring municipalities in 
the province of Capiz would also benefit from the proposed TESDA Skills and Accreditation Center. It is 
imperative that the State shall be able to provide the Filipinos with opportunities that shall guide them to 
be productive citizens actively participating in nation-building.   
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is sought. 
IVAN HOWARD A. GUINTU 
Representative, 1st District of Capiz 
July 1, 2025
5:44 pm


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 972 
Introduced by Representative Ivan Howard A. Guintu 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 
AUTHORITY (TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER IN THE 
MUNICIPALITY OF PONTEVEDRA, PROVINCE OF CAPIZ, TO BE KNOWN AS 
THE PONTEVEDRA TESDA TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Pontevedra TESDA Training 
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and Assessment Center Act.” 
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SEC. 2. Establishment. – There is hereby established a Technical Education and Skills 
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Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center in Municipality of Pontevedra, 
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Province of Capiz, under the supervision of the TESDA, to be known as the Pontevedra TESDA 
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Training and Assessment Center. It shall be established in a highly accessible location in the 
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Municipality of Pontevedra, Province of Capiz, pursuant to the purposes of this Act and to the 
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mutual agreement between the TESDA and the concerned local government units (LGUs). 
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SEC. 3. General Mandate. – The Pontevedra TESDA Training and Assessment Center, 
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hereinafter referred to as the Center, shall primarily provide technical-vocational education and 
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training (TVET) programs to students and local residents from low-income families and out of-
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school youths, including persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples, in the Municipality of 
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Pontevedra and the rest of the localities comprising the Province of Capiz to help them become 
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productive, self-reliant and globally competitive labor assets. 
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The Center shall offer training programs on relevant skills, trade competencies, 
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craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship activities needed to deliver the effective employment 
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interventions that will hasten the development of the host area and adjacent localities in the 
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Province of Capiz into human resource and productivity hubs. 
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The Center shall serve as a TESDA-accredited Assessment Center for acquired 
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competencies in TVET programs in the Municipality of Pontevedra and other municipalities of the 
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Province of Capiz. It shall provide teachers' training and curriculum design assistance to the 
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secondary schools offering the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track under the K to 12 
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Program. 
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SEC. 4. Training Programs. – The Center shall offer short-term certificate courses and 
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modular trainings in preferred technical-vocational skills and trades specialization. To this end, 
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the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), 
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Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department 
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the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and Development Authority 
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(NEDA), business-industry partners, and such other relevant agencies and instrumentalities, both 
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local and international, shall provide the necessary assistance to enable the Center to develop 
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skilled manpower to achieve a robust and inclusive economy in the host area and its adjacent 
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localities. 
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The Center may establish research and technology hubs, technology development farms, 
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satellite or extension training centers, and promote mobile training programs to strengthen linkages 
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among the industry partners, the academe, and the Center geared towards the acquisition of 
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practical livelihood, employable skills, gainful employment, and entrepreneurship in priority areas 
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throughout the Municipality of Pontevedra and in adjacent areas in the Province of Capiz. 
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The Center shall offer the following TVET programs with competencies assessment 
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leading to National Certification Levels I-III: 
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(a) Skills training in industrial technology and hard trades such as metal and steelwork, 
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machine fabrication and operation, heavy equipment operation, automotive mechanic, 
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refrigeration and air conditioning, electronics, and operation of power tools and equipment for 
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both medium skills grade and industrial purposes; 
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(b) Agriculture and aquaculture-related trainings and skills development in such areas as 
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farming technology, fishing operations technology, backyard farming and home-based aquaculture 
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and propagation innovations, mechanized farm, fishing tools and equipment operation, 
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agribusiness and agri-aqua trade technology and innovations, and relevant farmers and fisherfolks' 
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trainings for increased productivity and entrepreneurship; 
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(c) Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment and small-scale 
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entrepreneurship, including practical skills education in arts and crafts, workmanship and design, 
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high-speed sewing, dressmaking and tailoring, horticulture, livestock raising and breeding, food 
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processing technology, home technology, culinary arts and commercial cooking, cosmetology, and 
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health and wellness training; 
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(d) Basic business literacy training in financial management and marketing, practical 
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accountancy, bookkeeping, office procedures, business processes and application procedures 
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including registration, licensing, documentation, business patent and intellectual property 
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regulation, business financing and investment opportunities sourcing, import-export accreditation, 
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online home-based business operation, and use of social media business marketing; 
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(e) Technical-vocational occupation and trades skills such as carpentry, masonry, 
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plumbing, welding, practical electricity and installation, automotive servicing, electronics 
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servicing, personal computer servicing, and such other relevant practical skills courses; 
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(f) Computer literacy and information technology-related skills, digital technology, web 
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design, animation, photoshop/online photography, computer design, and advertising; 
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(g) Social communication skills development and language proficiency courses in English 
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and other languages for business process outsourcing employment and overseas job placement; 
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(h) Seminars on personality development, career counseling and job placement, work ethic 
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and values; and 
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(i) Other preferred skills and trades training that may be needed by the people of the 
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Municipality of Pontevedra, and other areas in the Province of Capiz to enhance their capacities 
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for practical livelihood, gainful employment, and entrepreneurial activities. 
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SEC. 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. – The provisions of this Act 
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Notwithstanding, the Center shall become operational only upon determination and certification 
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by the TESDA, through the issuance of a formal recommendation and certificate of compliance, 
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that the Center has satisfactorily complied with the minimum requirements for quality standards 
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prescribed by the TESDA governing the following competency assessment: 
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(a) Standard procedures and guidelines for the establishment and operation of a Center; 
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(b) Operational sustainability of the Center in terms of licensed faculty-trainers and 
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personnel, equipment, training and laboratory facilities, instructional materials, and other standard 
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requirements of a Center; 
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(c) Sustainable funding source and allocation of budgetary requirement; 
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(d) Assurance that the training programs offered are fully aligned with the minimum 
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standards of competency-based quality technical-vocational skills technology and the needs of the 
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host area and adjacent communities served in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian 
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Nations (ASEAN) Integration and the Philippine QualificationsFramework for TVET; and 
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(e) Compliance with such other TESDA conditions and standards, as may be necessary and 
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applicable in establishing a Center. 
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SEC. 6. Administration. – The Center shall be headed by a Technical-Vocational 
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Administrator, under the supervision of the TESDA, who shall render full-time service and be 
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responsible for the administration and operation of the Center. 
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The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall be appointed by the TESDA Director 
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General in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission and the 
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qualification requirements for such office. 
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The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall enter into agreements with locally-based 
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private and public counterpart agencies or instrumentalities and persons, subject to the approval of 
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the TESDA Director, for such assistance as may be necessary to effectively implement this Act.  
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SEC. 7. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this Act, 
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and its continued implementation thereafter, shall be included in the annual General 
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Appropriations Act. 
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The concerned LGU, in consultation with the TESDA, shall set aside from any available 
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local revenue an amount deemed appropriate as annual counterpart fund to support the operation 
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of the Pontevedra TESDA Training and Assessment Center herein established. 
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SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after the 
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approval of this Act, the TESDA shall, in coordination with the DOLE, DTI, DOST, DA, 
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Department of Budget and Management, DILG, NEDA, concerned LGUs, and such other relevant 
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agencies and industry-business partners of the host locality, prepare and issue the necessary rules 
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and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 9. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any section of this Act shall be deemed 
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unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall not be affected and shall 
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remain in force and effect. 
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SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, rules and 
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regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are repealed or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
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the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation 
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Approved,