THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority honored its outstanding partners from various sectors for their contributions in strengthening technical vocational education and training in the country.

TESDA Director General Danilo Cruz congratulated all Kabalikat awardees and thanked them for their unending support to TESDA and to the country’s TVET sector.

“Taos-pusong pasasalamat sa ating mga kasalukuyang partners na ating katuwang sa paghubog ng mga highly skilled na Pilipinong manggagawa na kayang makipagsabayan kahit kanino man sa mundo,” he said.

“Sa tulong at pagkakaisa natin lahat, alam nating muli tayong makakabangon at makapagsisimulang muli nang matatag,” he added.

The Kabalikat Awards are given annually to TESDA’s most active and outstanding partners who assisted the agency in developing, enhancing and implementing training programs that resulted in better employability of Filipino skilled workers.

These include partners from local government units; the legislative branch; national government agencies; government-owned and controlled corporations; non-government organizations; private businesses and companies and local and international organizations.

TESDA conferred on Sen. Joel Villanueva the 2022 National Kabalikat Special Award last Aug. 30 in Taguig City during a ceremony that also honored successful tech-voc graduates with the Idols ng TESDA Award.

The senator, a former TESDA director general, is an advocate for free education and supported the request of TESDA for more TVET scholarship grants in the Senate.

He is also one of the principal authors of Republic Act 11230 or the Tulong Trabaho Act, the implementation of which was designated to TESDA by former President Duterte. The law aims to provide free access to technical vocational education through the Tulong Trabaho Fund.

TESDA also conferred awards on other legislative partners, such as Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, 2nd District Misamis Oriental Rep. Juliet Uy, Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali M. Gonzales and Baguio Rep. Marquez Go.

In his speech, Villanueva congratulated all the Kabalikat Awardees for their contributions to making TVET accessible and relevant and encouraged them to continue their programs and services for the Filipino people.

“Kayo ang mga bagong kwento na magbibigay ng pride, magbibigay ng dignidad, magbibigay ng inspirasyon, magbibigay ng katatagan at pagkakaisa sa tech-voc sector sa ating bansa,” he said,.

In the LGU category, TESDA awarded the 2022 National Kabalikat Award to Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail; City Governments of Ilagan in Isabela, Talisay in Cebu, and Panabo in Davao del Norte; and Municipal Governments of Guagua in Pampanga, Cainta in Rizal, Juban in Sorsogon, Tubungan in Iloilo, Basey in Samar, Ramon Magsaysay in Zamboanga del Sur, Tampakan in South Cotabato and Alegria in Surigao del Norte.

For industry partners, TESDA honored Hyundai Santiago City, Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative, Energy Development Corp., TCO Socio-economic & Environmental Development, Lao Integrated Farms, G-Tecnica Equipment Corporation, and Taganito Mining Corporation.