In Photo (L-R): Atty. Gil G. Taway IV, APECO President and Chief Executive Officer, and Secretary Jose Francisco B. Benitez, TESDA Director General.
(14 April 2025, Manila) – As part of its continued push to attract and to support various industry investments, the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) is preparing its workforce development strategy through a promising partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). With manpower demand expected to rise due to the arrival of new locators and investors, APECO is proactively aligning its labor development efforts to ensure that the economic zone is home to competitive and highly skilled human capital. This collaborative partnership aims to upskill and certify the existing labor market of the region, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and competencies required by investors and locators.
Welcomed by the TESDA Director General, Secretary Jose Francisco B. Benitez expressed strong support in APECO’s aspirations of human capital development for its internal staff and the regional workforce. He shared different types of interventions TESDA can implement such as specialized training programs to upskill existing APECO personnel, accrediting APECO and its locators to be part of TESDA’s Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Program, and even potentially establishing a dedicated training center within the economic zone that can host programs for senior high school students, existing professionals, and any individual looking for new skills. Secretary Benitez emphasized the value of enterprise-based apprenticeships through EBET, citing the strong adaptability and quicker learning-capacity of Filipino workers in on-the-job learning environments. This recommended model is seen as a practical and immediate pathway to bridge classroom learning with real-world demands.
Looking to establish productive long-term practices, APECO is keen to be home to a TESDA training center that would serve as a key institutional anchor to deliver TESDA-accredited programs in areas such as renewable energy, bamboo processing, welding—skills, among many options that are closely aligned with the emerging industries in APECO. The TESCA training center is also a forward-looking institution that looks to the future with an integrated approach to workforce readiness. TESDA shared that they are open to the possibility of incorporating Senior High School (SHS) training programs certified under TESDA’s quality assurance, offering NCII qualifications for SHS graduates and training under Community-Based Training and Enterprise Development (CBET).
Finally, there was also discussions regarding a dedicated Indigenous Peoples’ Skills Development Center aimed to empower indigenous communities within APECO through livelihood training and cultural preservation. APECO, with its inclusive development model, seeks to ensure that any development within the economic zone directly benefits its local communities; moreover creates livelihood and earning opportunities especially for the indigenous people’s communities.
With a joint technical working group already established and a Memorandum of Agreement being drafted, this partnership marks a significant step toward building a resilient and competitive talent pool that will drive the economic zone’s growth and boost investor confidence.
