SENATOR Imee Marcos has filed a bill seeking to establish a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Training and Assessment Center in Banna, Ilocos Norte, to expand access to technical-vocational education and employment opportunities.

Senate Bill No. 2455, filed during the 20th Congress, Second Regular Session, aims to provide residents of Banna and neighboring communities with accessible technical-vocational training programs and competency assessment services.

In the bill’s explanatory note, Marcos said the proposed center would address the need for quality and specialized technical-vocational education to equip residents with skills required by industries and emerging economic opportunities.

Banna and nearby communities have significant economic potential in agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, industrial and technical trades, and small and medium enterprises.

The proposed TESDA center is expected to equip students, out-of-school youth and other residents with relevant, market-responsive skills to improve their employment prospects, support entrepreneurship and promote better livelihoods.

Marcos said the initiative would also help develop a skilled and productive workforce to support economic growth in Banna and the province of Ilocos Norte.

The measure cites the 1987 Constitution’s mandate to protect and promote every Filipino’s right to quality education, as well as Republic Act No. 7796, or the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994.

Marcos is pushing for the bill’s passage to expand access to technical-vocational education and strengthen local workforce development.