President Aquino has signed a new Executive Order (EO) that gives the technical-vocational course graduates a shortcut to earning a college degree diploma.
In signing EO 83, which institutionalizes the Philippine Qualification Framework, President Aquino creates a policy accelerating graduates of the government’s premier technical and vocational institution to mid-level of a college degree course.
Part of the EO also stipulates that Technical Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda) graduates would be validated by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to determine the number of years that would be waived from the duration of the preferred college degree.
In a statement, Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva said the EO accelerating his wards is expected to lure the government vocational training institution graduates to pursue higher education which he claims form part of the administration’s education and employment agenda.
“We are elated with President Aquino’s signing of EO 83. Without a shadow of doubt, it would keep translate to higher numbers of Filipino college graduates and professionals,” he said.
The government, he added, would be formulating EO 83’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) by the second week of December.
Villanueva further hinted that the Philippine Qualification Framework translates to what is aptly referred to as non-traditional education where the Department of Education accords a degree diploma to those who’d fall well within the standards to be determined under the IRR.
“At present, Philippine education system has a unique tri-focalized education management system, basic education, technical-vocational education and training and higher education,”  Villanueva said.
Citing an example, Villanueva said Tesda graduates of house-keeping training module may qualify for Hotel and Restaurant Management degree diploma after being validated and cleared by Ched.
“If one has already taken Tesda’s house keeping training program, he or she could take up a four- year HRM course just in two years’ time. It would, however, depend on one’s working experience,” Villanueva added.
“Whereas, there are gaps in the education and labor sector brought about by poor information and the continuing disconnect between educational institutions and employment/industry trends which has brought about the mismatch in jobs and skills and the adoption of a qualifications framework will benefit various sectors and stakeholders of education and training, particularly in 1) encouraging lifelong learning of individuals; 2) providing employers specific training standards and qualifications that are aligned to industry standards; 3) ensuring that training and educational institutions adhere to specific standards and are accountable for achieving the same, and 4) providing the government with common standards, taxonomy and typology of qualifications as bases for granting approvals to stakeholders,” EO 83 stated.