EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. B. No.1667
TH.1t
HOE A
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
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
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Philippine Constitution, under Article XIV, Section 1 provides 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 further mandates that, "the State establish, maintain and support 
a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of 
the people and society;."
The City of Maasin is a 4th Class City and the capital of the Province of Southern 
Leyte. It is the commercial and religious center of the province and has seventy (70) 
barangays. However, based on reports there is a shortage of skilled workers in the 
said city. For this reason, a training and assessment center in the city is sought.
To address this concern and in accordance with policy of the State, this measure 
seeks to establish a TESDA Training and Assessment Center in the City of Maasin, 
Province of Southern Leyte. Furthermore, this initiative aims to enhance the technical 
capabilities of the people to be a more productive citizen of the country.
In view of the foregoing, the speedy passage of this bill is earnestly requested.
I f\.
IMEE R. MARCOS


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIUPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. B. No. 1667
DATE
TIME
MOEX
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
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 the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Maasin City TESDA
2 
Training and Assessment Center Act."
3 
SEC. 2. Establishment. - There is hereby established a Technical Education and
4 
Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center in a highly
5 
accessible area in the City of Maasin, Province of Southern Leyte, under the
6 
supervision of the TESDA, to be known as the Maasin City TESDA Training and
7 
Assessment Center.
8 
SEC. 3. General Mandate. - The Maasin City TESDA Training and Assessment
9 
Center, hereinafter referred to as the Center, shall primarily provide technical-
10 
vocational training and skills development programs to students and residents from
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low-income families and out-of-school youths, including college dropouts and persons
12 
with disabilities (PWDs), in Maasin City and the neighboring communities in the
13 
Province of Southern Leyte, geared towards the acquisition of practical livelihood,
14 
employable skills, gainful employment, and entrepreneurship.
15 
The Center shall help train local residents to become productive, self-reliant
16 
and globally competitive middle to high-level skilled labor force to hasten the social
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and economic development of these areas, in particular, and to meet the manpower
18 
needs of both local and international labor markets, in general.
19 
The Center shall consider in the design of relevant technical-vocational training
20 
programs to be offered thereat a competency assessment of the socioeconomic


1 
profile, employment conditions and opportunities, business climate, market and
2 
industry potentials, resources available and presence of support structures, including
3 
the literacy level and skills readiness, and the overall development of the host area
4 
and adjacent communities within the operational radius of the Center established
5 
herein. The Center shall also consider the relevant skills trade competencies,
6 
craftsmanship training programs, and entrepreneurship activities needed to deliver the
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effective employment and development interventions required to make these areas as
8 
human resource and productivity hubs.
9 
The Center shall also serve as a TESDA-accredited Assessment Center for
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acquired competencies in technical vocational skills in Maasin City and other
11 
municipalities of the Province of Southern Leyte.
12 
Preference in admission, however, shall be given to the most disadvantaged
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citizens, including PWDS, and to the most economically depressed areas of Maasin
14 
City, Province of Southern Leyte, within the operational radius of the Center.
15 
The Center shall, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd)
16 
and the TESDA, render relevant teachers' training assistance and curriculum design to
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the secondary schools offering technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track under the K-
18 
to-12 program of the Deped in Maasin City and the other municipalities in the Province
19 
of Southern Leyte.
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SEC. 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 (NpA), 
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.
(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;


1 
(b) Agriculture-related trainings and farm skills development In such areas as
2 
farming technology and farm operations, backyard farming and home-
3 
based aquaculture and propagation innovations, mechanized farm tools and
4 
equipment operations, agribusiness and agri-trade technology and
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innovations, and relevant farmers' trainings for increased productivity and
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entrepreneurship;
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(c) Livelihood skills development courses for preferred skills employment and
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small scale entrepreneurship, including practical skills education In crafts
9 
and arts, workmanship and designing (such as fabric, woodworks, jewelry
10 
and metal works) high-speed sewing, dressmaking and tailoring,
11 
horticulture, livestock raising and breeding, food processing technology,
12 
home technology, culinary arts and commercial cooking (such as baking),
13 
beauty culture (including cosmetology and hair and nail styling), and health
14 
and wellness training;
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(d) Basic business literacy training in financial management and marketing,
16 
practical accountancy, bookkeeping, and office procedures, business
17 
processes and application procedures including registration, licensing,
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documentation, business patent and Intellectual property regulation,
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business financing and investment opportunities sourcing, import-export
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accreditation, including online home-based business operation and use of
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social media business marketing;
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(e) Technical-vocational occupation and trade skills such as carpentry,
23 
masonry, plumbing, welding, practical electricity and installation,
24 
automotive servicing, electronics servicing, personal computer (PC)
25 
servicing, and such other relevant practical skills courses;
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(f) Computer Literacy and Information Technology (IT)-related skills, digital
27 
technology, web design, animation, photoshop/online photography,
28 
computer design, and advertising;
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(g) Social communication skills development, language proficiency courses in
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English and other language for business process outsourcing (call center)
31 
employment and overseas job placement;
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(h) Seminars in personality development, career counselling and job
33 
placement, work ethic and values, and;
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(i) Other preferred priority skills trades training that may be needed by the
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people of Maasin City and relevant as well to the needs of the areas in the
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Province of Southern Leyte to enhance their capacities for practical
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livelihood, gainful employment, and entrepreneurship skills.
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SEC. 5. Compliance with TESDA Requirements. - The provisions of this Act
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notwithstanding, the Center established herein shall become operationally effective
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only upon the determination and declaration of the TESDA, through the issuance of a
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formal recommendation and certificate of compliance, that the Center has
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satisfactorily complied with the minimum requirements for quality standards
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prescribed by the TESDA governing the following competency assessment: (a)
45 
standard procedures and guidelines (SPGS) for the establishment and operation of a
46 
Center; (b) operational sustainability of the Center established herein, in terms of
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licensed faculty-trainers and personnel, equipment, training and laboratory facilities,
48 
instructional materials, and other standard requirements as a Center; (c) sustainable
3


1 
funding source and allocation of budget requirement of the Center hereto established;
2 
(d) assurance that the training programs offered are fully aligned with the minimum
3 
standards of competency-based quality technical-vocational skills technology and the
4 
needs of the host area and adjacent communities served in the context of the
5 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Philippine Qualification
6 
Framework (PQF) for technical-vocational education; and (e) compliance with such
7 
other TESDA conditionality and standards in establishing a Center, as may be
8 
necessary and applicable.
9 
SEC. 6. Administration. - The Center shall be headed by a Technical-Vocational
10 
Administrator, under the supervision of the TESDA, who shall render full-time services
11 
and be responsible for the administration and operation of the Center.
12 
The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall be appointed by the TESDA
13 
Director General In accordance with civil service rules and regulations and the
14 
qualification requirements for such office.
15 
The Technical-Vocational Administrator shall enter into mutual agreements with
16 
locally-based private and public counterpart agencies or instrumentalities and persons,
17 
subject to approval by the TESDA Director General, for such assistance as may be
18 
necessary to effectively implement this Act.
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SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement the provisions
20 
of this Act, and its continued implementation thereafter, shall be Included in the annual
21 
General Appropriations Act.
22 
The concerned local government unit (LGU), in consultation with the TESDA,
23 
shall likewise set aside from any available local revenue an amount deemed
24 
appropriate as annual counterpart fund to support the operation of the Maasin City
25 
TESDA Training and Assessment Center established herein.
26 
SEC. 8. Impiementing Ruies and Reguiations. - Within ninety (90) days after
27 
the approval of this Act, the TESDA shall. In coordination with the DOLE, DTI, DOST,
28 
NEDA, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), DILG, the concerned LGUs
29 
and such other reievant agencies and industry-business partners of the host locality,
30 
prepare and issue the necessary ruies and regulations for the implementation of this
31 
Act.
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SEC. 9. Separabiiity Ciause. - If, for any reason, any section or provision of this
33 
Act shall be deemed unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof
34 
shall not be affected and shall remain in force and effect.
35 
SEC. 10. Repeating Ciause. - All laws, executive orders, decrees, instructions,
36 
rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with any provision of this Act are
37 
hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
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SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shali take effect fifteen (15) days after its
39 
publication in the Officiat Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,