THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is planning to bring Filipino participants to the Worldskills ASEAN Competition 2018, schedule Aug. 31-Sept.2 in Bangkok, Thailand. Rolando V. dela Torre, TESDA Davao provincial director and co-vice chair of the national technical committee the Philippines, said in a media forum in Davao City that the country stopped joining WorldSkills in the last 15 years because it was not considered a priority by the national government. However, he added, the victory of several Filipinos in the recent WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi, winning silver and bronze medals in various fields, has reignited interest and support. Francisco B. Jucar, Jr., TESDA-Davao regional director and vice chair of the national technical committee said they are looking at 18 trade areas where the Philippines can compete in next year. These include automotive, welding, cookery, restaurant service, plumbing, megatronics, and fashion technology, among others. Worldskills is a global nonprofit association that promotes skills excellence and the recognition of skilled professionals worldwide. — Maya M. Padillo

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