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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Richard I. Gomez 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 7796, also known as the Technical Education and skills Development 
Act of 1994, provides that the State shall, “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.” 
This bill seeks to establish the TESDA Skills, Training and Accreditation Center in the 
municipality of Ormoc, Province of Leyte to be known as Ormoc TESDA Training and 
Accreditation Center Act.   
The establishment of an accessible, high-quality education, and skills development shall 
be beneficial not only to high school and college newly graduates but also to any citizen in the area 
and its neighboring districts who wants to learn. This allows the youth to develop new skills that 
enable them to empower themselves and earn a living. 
The immediate adoption of this bill is called for as a tangible demonstration of the 
Government's unwavering commitment to making education a dynamic right and democratic 
blessing for all Filipinos, especially those in need. 
RICHARD I. GOMEZ, DPA 
March 20, 2023
2:07 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________________ 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative Richard I. Gomez 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE ORMOC TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS 
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) 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 "Ormoc TESDA Training and 
Assessment Center." 
SEC. 2. Establishment of Ormoc TESDA Training and Assessment Center. -  There shall 
be established, under the supervision and  control of the Technical Education and Skills 
Development Authority (TESDA), a TESDA Training and Assessment Center in the Fourth 
District of the Province of Leyte. 
SEC. 3. General Mandate. - The Ormoc City TESDA Training and Assessment Center, 
hereinafter referred to as the Center, shall primarily provide vocational training and skills 
development programs for low-income students and residents, out-of-school youth, including 
college dropouts and persons with disability, in the city of Ormoc and other neighboring 
municipalities of Leyte. This aims to provide acquisition of practical livelihood, employable skills, 
gainful employment, and entrepreneurship. 
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The Center shall help accelerate the social and economic development of these areas and 
to ensure that local populations are productive, self-sufficient, and globally competitive in order 
to meet the labor needs of both local and international labor markets.  
 
The Center shall consider designing relevant technical vocational training programs to be 
offered there, consideration should be given to the socio-economic profile, employment conditions 
and opportunities, business environment, market and industry potential, available resources, the 
existence of support structures including: take into account the competence assessment. Readiness 
and overall development of literacy levels and skills in host areas and adjacent communities within 
the operational radius of the Center established here.  
 
The Center also provides the relevant trade skills, craft training programs and 
entrepreneurial activities necessary to provide the effective employment and development 
interventions necessary to make these sectors centers of human capital and productivity. 
 
The Center shall also serve as TESDA-accredited assessment centers to test the ability to 
acquire technical professional skills. The most disadvantaged citizens, including those with 
disabilities, and the most economically disadvantaged areas of Ormoc City and other adjoining 
locations in Leyte Province will be prioritized.  
 
SEC. 4. Training Programs. - The Center shall offer diverse short-term certificate courses 
and modular trainings in relevant technical-vocational skills and trade specialization to comply 
with employment standards in preferred and emerging market-driven labor opportunities, and shall 
likewise give premium efforts to skills specialization for the local market employment 
requirements geared towards achieving the development of a robust inclusive economy within the 
host areas 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), the Department 
of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department 
of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the National Economic and Development Authority 
(NEDA), business-industry partners, and such other relevant agencies, both local and international. 
 
The Center may establish research and technology hubs, technology development farms, 
mobile training programs, and satellite or extension training centers in priority areas throughout 
the Province of Leyte within the service radius of the Center to strengthen linkages among the 
industry, the academe and the Center. 
 
To address the development and manpower needs of the municipality of Ormoc and the 
other adjacent localities in the Province of Leyte, the Center shall offer the following TESDA- 
registered technical-vocational train: 
 


 
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a. Skills training in industrial technology and hard trade 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 and aquaculture-related training and skills development in such areas as 
farming-fishing operations technology, backyard farming and home-based aquaculture and 
propagation innovation, mechanized farm and fishing tools and equipment operation, agribusiness, 
agri-aqua trade technology and innovations, and relevant farmers and fisherfolks' continuing 
training for increased productivity and entrepreneurship; 
 
c. Social communication skills development, language proficiency courses in English and 
other languages for business process outsourcing employment such as call center and overseas job 
placement; 
 
d. Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment and small-scale 
entrepreneurship, including practical skills education in crafts and arts, workmanship and 
designing, high-speed sewing, dressmaking and tailoring, horticulture, livestock raising and 
breeding; food processing technology, home technology, culinary arts and commercial cooking, 
cosmetology, health and wellness training; 
 
e. 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, 
online home-based business operation and social media business marketing; 
 
f. Technical-vocational occupation and trade skills such as carpentry, masonry, plumbing, 
welding, practical electricity and installation, automotive servicing, electronics servicing, basic 
personal computer (PC) troubleshooting and servicing, and such other relevant practical skills 
courses; 
 
g. Computer literacy and information technology (IT)-related skills, digital technology, 
web design, animation, photoshop/online photography, computer design and advertising; 
 
h. Seminars in personality development, career counseling and job placement, and work 
ethic and values; and  
 


 
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i. Other preferred priority skills and trade training that may be utilized by the people of the 
municipality of Tagkawayan and the other localities in the Province of Leyte, to enhance their 
capacities for practical livelihood, gainful employment, and entrepreneurial activities.  
 
SEC. 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. - The provisions of this Act 
notwithstanding, the Ormoc 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 individually and 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 
TESDA-accredited training and assessment center; 
 
b. Operational sustainability of the Center established herein, such as licensed faculty 
training and personnel, equipment, training and laboratory facilities, and instructional materials; 
 
c. Sustainable funding source and allocation for the budgetary requirement of the Center 
herein 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 site and adjacent localities served in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
(ASEAN) and Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) for technical-vocational education; and  
 
e. Compliance with such other TESDA conditionalities and standards, as may be necessary 
and applicable. 
 
SEC. 6. Administration. - The Center shall be headed by a Technical-Vocational 
Administrator, under the supervision of the TESDA, who shall render full-time services and be 
responsible for the administration and operation of the Center. 
 
The Technical-Vocational Administrator of the Center shall be appointed by the TESDA 
Director General in accordance with Civil Service Commission rules and regulation and the 
qualification requirements for such an office. 
 
The Technical-Vocational Administrator of the Center shall enter into mutual agreements 
with locally-based private and public counterpart agencies or instrumentalities and persons, subject 
to approval of the TESDA Director General, for such assistance as may be necessary to effectively 
implement this Act. 


 
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SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The Director General of the TESDA shall include in the 
Authority's program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the 
annual General Appropriations Act. The LGUs concerned, 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 Center established herein. 
 
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days after the approval 
of this Act, the TESDA, in coordination with the DOLE, the DTI, the DOST, the NEDA, the 
Department of Budget and Management (DMB), the DILG, the concerned LGU, and such other 
relevant agencies and industry-business partners of the host locality shall prepare and issue the 
necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 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. 
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions, rules and 
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or 
amended accordingly. 
 
SEC. 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,