EDCOM 2 Commissioner Representative Jose Francisco ‘Kiko’ Benitez of Negros Occidental has officially been sworn in as the new Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

EDCOM 2 Commissioners, Standing Committee and Advisory Council Members, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and partners from the academe and education sector warmly welcomed the new TESDA chief.

“Our President chooses the best and the brightest for our education sector. We saw that with Secretary Sonny Angara, and now DG Kiko. I am very, very sure and confident that the President picked the right man to continue the legacy of excellence in TESDA. You, working with Secretary Sonny, will produce better outputs for the youth and the future of our country. Our youth deserve nothing but the best,” Romualdez said.

Benitez’s colleagues from EDCOM 2 also voiced their support.

“I am confident that TESDA will benefit from Congressman Benitez’s experience as a former university president, lawmaker, and commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.

“I look forward to working with him in reforming the Technical Vocational Education and Training sector to boost the job readiness of our senior high school graduates, promote upskilling and reskilling, and reduce jobs-skills mismatch”, Gatchalian continued.

“Together with his passion to improve the lives of every Filipino, DG Kiko brings valuable insights into the challenges faced by TechVoc learners and the needs of the industry. Let us give him our support, as his success in TESDA is the success of EDCOM 2!” added EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Representative Roman Romulo.

EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Joel Villanueva, himself a former TESDA Director General during the Aquino administration from 2010-2015, also voiced his confidence in Benitez.

“Under the leadership of DG Kiko, I certainly believe that TESDA will continue the legacy of empowering Filipinos and even soar to greater heights,” Villanueva said.

Speaking on behalf of EDCOM 2, Advisory Council member Fr. Ben Nebres thanked DG Kiko for accepting the post.

“We have a long way to go and we are very excited to work with you, DG Kiko. So that we can do better in our technical education, do better for our technicians, and move forward in the education of our country. Maraming salamat for accepting it. We are very grateful,” Nebres said.