SU TEVEC hosts TESDA – Negros Oriental Prov’l Office’s TVET Institutions’ Forum
Silliman University (SU), through its Technical, Educational, Vocational, and Entrepreneurial Center (TEVEC), hosted the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions’ Forum organized by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Negros Oriental Provincial Office on March 4, 2026, at the Uytengsu Transformative Learning Center Lobby of the SU Main Library.
Attended by TESDA Negros Island Region Regional Director Niña Connie G. Dodd and TESDA Negros Oriental Provincial Director Fletcher B. Gumahad, along with representatives from TVET institutions, faculty members, staff, students, and partner organizations, the forum gathered representatives from TVET institutions and stakeholders across the province to discuss program alignment, collaboration, and priorities for technical education implementation.
Focusing on the direction of TESDA, particularly in 2026, Dodd underscored three concepts in her talk to partner Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) in Negros Oriental: alignment, cooperation, and partnership.
“It is important that we invest in skills development,” she said, noting that TESDA plays a big role in the country’s skill and workforce development.
“If we continue to produce just the lower-level NCs, we only continue to produce workers [who] are forever minimum wagers. We also have to invest in higher-level qualifications to assure also that the workers [we train will have a chance at higher wages],” she explained.
According to Dodd, TESDA will put a lot of effort into strengthening the higher-level NCs, including diploma programs.
Representing the University, Dr. Lily Ann D. Bautista, vice president for Academic Affairs and Research (VPAAR), delivered the welcome message on behalf of SU President Dr. Betty Cernol McCann.
In her message, Bautista welcomed participants to SU, highlighting the institution’s commitment to technical education as a transformative force for individuals and communities.
“Within Silliman University, Silliman University Technical, Educational, Vocational and Entrepreneurial Center (SU TEVEC) operates firmly anchored on the University’s vision of total human development,” she said.
“Technical and vocational education becomes a means of forming individuals who are not only employable but ethical, not only productive but socially responsible,” she said.
Bautista also underscored SU TEVEC’s role in delivering competency-based training aligned with national standards under the Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS), ensuring quality programs that respond to industry needs.
Bautista reported that from 2017 to 2026, SU TEVEC produced 1,575 graduates, contributing skilled professionals to sectors such as industry, agriculture, healthcare, and early childhood development.
TEVEC currently offers 14 TESDA-registered programs, operates mobile training programs for underserved communities, and serves as an Accredited Assessment Center for 15 qualifications, including being the first training institution accredited to offer Early Childhood Care and Development Services NC III.
Bautista also acknowledged the leadership of SU TEVEC Head Blanchie M. Utzurrum, noting that the center continues to expand its programs and partnerships with industry and government.
“As we gather today, may we reaffirm our collective responsibility to expand access to quality technical education, uphold standards of excellence, and continue empowering individuals through skills development,” Bautista said.
