In a groundbreaking development for Philippine Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), TESDA Region X awarded the Certificate of TVET Program Registration (CTPR) for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the Asian Business Cabletow Cooperative Academy (ABCCA), Inc.
Aligned with the 8 point TESDABest Agenda of Sec. Jose Francisco Benitez, this pivotal moment is set to transform the country’s technological and educational landscape by fostering local talent to solve global challenges through AI and Data Science.
The awarding ceremony, hosted at ABCCA, was led by TESDA Deputy Director General for TESDA Operations Vidal D. Villanueva III, TESDA Region X Director Rafael Y. Abrogar II, and TESDA Misamis Oriental Provincial Director Marigold Cherie R. Garrido and Hon. Councilor Suzette Magtajas Daba representing Mayor Rolando Klarex Uy of CDO.
This initiative is the result of a strong collaboration between TESDA, ABCCA, LGU Cagayan de Oro, and Skunk Works, an industry leader in innovation. Skunk Works CEO, Mr. Thor Turrecha, spearheaded the development of the AI program, aimed at empowering local talent to address global problems—ranging from traffic and security to water management, agriculture, and vehicle detection—through AI. By harnessing the potential of AI, the training aspires to solve epic global issues such as traffic measurement and behavior recognition, water leakage detection and fluid dynamics analysis, crop growth detection and rice yield prediction and vehicle and person-of-interest detection for enhanced security.
By offering access to this cutting-edge training, the project is creating pathways for out-of-school youth (OSYs) and indigenous peoples (IPs) in remote areas to participate in and contribute to solving global industry problems.
The unique three-month curriculum includes Drone Engineering alongside Generative AI, ensuring that participants are not only trained in AI but also equipped to meet the demands of drone-related industries. The program aims to build a more hireable, skilled middle class, positioning local talent to lead technological innovations on a global scale.
The project leverages the vital synergies among the partners by sharing resources including facilities of ABCCA, financial resources for LGU Cagayan de Oro, technical expertise for Skunk Works and technical guidance from TESDA.
TESDA Deputy Director General USec. Vidal D. Villanueva III underscored the significance of this initiative: “This partnership is a reflection of our commitment to bringing future-ready skills to the Philippine workforce. By launching the first TESDA-registered AI program, we are laying the foundation for the country to lead in technological innovation.”
This Generative AI and Drone Engineering program is expected to have a profound impact on the Philippines’ economic and social development, particularly for marginalized sectors. By focusing on AI-driven solutions for problems such as traffic management, crop monitoring, and water resource optimization, TESDA and its partners are positioning the Philippines as a global leader in advanced technical education.
PR
