PRESIDENTFerdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has appointed Danilo P. Cruz as director of the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA), according to the Presidential Palace.
Mr. Marcos has also picked Olivia “Bong” Coo as commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a statement.
Mr. Cruz served as Labor undersecretary under the administration of ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
As head of TESDA, he will be in charge of steering the technical-vocational education sector towards improving the quality of training programs as well as the employment rate for graduates.
The country needs to upgrade its technical and vocational education training (TVET) system to better adapt to industry developments after the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released in 2021.
“Skill mismatches limit TVET graduates’ employability and reflect an inability to keep the training curriculum, course offerings, and training equipment relevant for the job market,” ADB said.
Ms. Coo, meanwhile, previously headed the Philippine Bowling Federation. The bowling icon earned eight gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
