Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1690

__ Introduced by: Hon. Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
(TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF
TAGKAWAYAN, IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEZON, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The 1987 Philippine Constitution declares that, “The State shall promote a just and
dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and
free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services,
promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all”
(Article II, Section 9).

Likewise, the fundamental law provides that “The Congress shall give highest priority
to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all people to human
dignity, reduce social, economic and political inequalities...” (Article XIII, Section 1) and that
“The promotion of social justice shall include the commitment to create economic
opportunities based on freedom and self-reliance” Article XIII, Section 2).

According to the Poverty Statistics conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA) Region IV-A - CALABARZON, with an estimated 10.2 percent, as of 2023}, the province
of Quezon posted the highest poverty incidence among the population or the proportion of
poor individuals whose per capita income is not sufficient to meet their basic food and non-
food needs in CALABARZON. It is higher by 2.3 percentage points compared to the total
poverty incidence of the region recorded at 7.9 percent

Further it reports that people in Quezon are confronted with social and economic
challenges and “they are often forced to accept whatever work is accessible and available.”
Accordingly, "Increasing their livelihood asseis and productivity at the community and local
government levels can heip in the local economic development and peace building process.”

In this light, there is a need to facilitate the provision of adequate social and economic
infrastructure services and reduce poverty and unemployment, particularly in the
municipality of Tagkawayan, Quezon, which lacks appropriate training institutions that will
enable its residents to become productive partners in community and nation building.

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With this in mind, this measure, which was approved by the House and transmitted
to the Senate during the 18th and 19th Congress, seeks to alleviate poverty in Tagkawayan,
Quezon through the establishment of a Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center for its poor residents thereby enabling
them to become economically productive and self-reliant.

In view thereof, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BiLt No. 1690

Introduced by: Hon. Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
(TESDA) TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT CENTER IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF
TAGKAWAYAN, IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEZON, 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 “Tagkawayan, Quezon
Province TESDA Training and Assessment Center Act”.

SEC. 2. Establishment. - There is hereby established Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center in the island municipality
of Tagkawayan, in the Province of Quezon, under the supervision of the TESDA, to be known
as Tagkawayan, Quezon Training and Assessment Center;

SEC. 3. General Mandate. - The Tagkawayan, Quezon Province 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 dropout and persons with
disabilities, in the island municipality of Tagkawayan, and the other adjacent localities in the
Province of Quezon, 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, available resources, presence of support structures, including the literacy level
and skills readiness, and the overall development within the host areas 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 TESDA-accredited assessment centers for acquired
competencies in technical-vocational skills. Preference in admission shall be given to the
most disadvantaged citizens, including persons with disabilities, and to the most
economically depressed areas of the municipality of Tagkawayan and other adjacent
localities in the Province of Quezon with the highest percentage of disadvantaged and
indigent citizens.

The Center shall, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the
TESDA, offer relevant teachers’ training assistance and curriculum design to the secondary
schools providing the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track under the K to 12 Program
of the DepEd.

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 Quezon 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 Tagkawayan
and the other adjacent localities in the Province of Quezon, the Center shall offer the
following TESDA-registered technical-vocational training programs with competencies
assessment leading to National Certification Levels I-III:

(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

(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 Quezon, 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 Tagkawayan 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-trainers 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 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.

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,