THE Philippine delegation bagged a silver medal and two Medallions for Excellence in the recently concluded 2nd WorldSkills Asia Competition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Competitor Ana Claire Hernandez brought home a silver medal in the Graphic Design Technology skill area. She also received the Best of Nation Award for having garnered the highest number of points among Philippine competitors.

Aside from the silver medal, the Philippine team also brought home two Medallions for Excellence.

These were awarded to Cristian Lasaruz Asanza in the Electrical Installation skill area and Jose Darylle Tolentino in the IT Network Systems Administration skill area. The Medallion for Excellence is granted to competitors whose performance meets the international standards based on the criteria set by WorldSkills International.

“It brings me immense pleasure to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our accomplished individuals who participated in the 2023 WorldSkills Competition held in Abu Dhabi. Their remarkable achievements not only brought pride to TESDA but also elevated the honor of our beloved Philippines on the global stage,” said TESDA Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu.

“We may vary in our ways in showing our ‘lingap’. Know that the ‘lingap’ you expressed through the honors you brought to our country and TESDA are heartfelt. In the coming years, I look forward to more of these,” added the TESDA head, referring to the agency’s guiding principle of “Sa TESDA, lingap ay maaasahan”.

It can be recalled that Hernandez also bagged the silver medal during the 13th WorldSkills ASEAN Competition held in Singapore last July. In an interview, she expressed her gratitude to the people behind her success and shared that the competition ultimately created a bond among the competitors.

“If you want to be world-class, you have to be willing to pay the price every single day. Which means you have to train and be mentally prepared sa mga circumstances na pwedeng mangyari during the competition,” Hernandez said to those who want to compete at the international level.

Mangudadatu also emphasized the importance of holding and joining the international skills competition to level the country’s tech-voc training with international standards.

“By joining international competitions, our competitors as well as the whole Philippine delegation will surely learn a lot about the best practices of other countries when it comes to the TVET sector and apply it in our country and ensure that our graduates are world-class,” the TESDA chief added.

The WorldSkills Asia competition takes place every two years in one of the member countries of the WorldSkills Asia organization.

The event aims to achieve several goals, including inspiring Asian youth and enabling them to develop skills for future jobs, as well as attracting member states and international partners in both private and government educational institutions to encourage talent and develop global standards of skills and competencies across Asia.