SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III lauded the President’s decision to transfer the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“It’s a brilliant move. I am in full support of the President’s decision to let DOLE supervise TESDA,” Pimentel said in a statement on Saturday.

“It is crucial for these two agencies to work together to address joblessness and productivity. Unemployment remains to be one of the biggest challenges that the Marcos administration should be able to address,” Pimentel added as he expressed concern over the increasing number of unemployed Filipinos at 2.99 million in July.

“There must be synchronized efforts to address unemployment with DOLE and TESDA as the lead agencies. Hence, EO No. 5 augurs well in the efforts to address joblessness in the country,” Pimentel stressed.

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 5 signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday, the DOLE secretary shall also serve as the chairperson of the TESDA board.

Pimentel advised Labor Secretary Laguesma to review TESDA’s proposed spending outlay for 2023 before the Senate tackles their budget proposal “to ensure that their policies are in sync with the end view of providing more job opportunities to the Filipino people,” said the Senate’s chief fiscalizer.

“It is the policy of the national government to rationalize the functional structures of agencies with complementary mandates and promote coordination, efficiency, and organizational coherence in the bureaucracy,” according to the EO.

TESDA was previously attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

AUTHOR PROFILE

Camille P. Balagtas