PEZA, Tesda ink cooperation agreement on workforce development

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Friday said it signed an agreement with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to cooperate on aligning workforce skills with industry needs as part of the government’s bid to address the mismatch seen in the local labor situation.

PEZA Director General Tereso Panga and Tesda Director General Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez led the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) last Wednesday, January 22, at the investment promotions agency’s head office in Pasay City.

“PEZA’s success stories are rooted in our world-class, English-proficient, and highly skilled workforce,” Panga said in a statement.

“Our workers’ global competitiveness continues to attract investments in manufacturing and services,” he said further.

PEZA said the collaboration combines its expertise with Tesda’s to better align skills training with industry demands, fostering a globally competitive workforce that will drive economic growth and attract investments.

It added that a particular focus of the partnership is skills development and job matching, including integrating overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) into the local labor market.

“Our workers, including (OFWs), are highly sought after worldwide. This partnership with Tesda ensures their skills align with the evolving needs of industries locally and abroad,” Panga said.

Under the MOU, PEZA and Tesda will administer skills surveys, customize training modules, and facilitate job matching for workers, including OFWs.

PEZA said they will also collaborate on developing job matching systems and industry immersion programs for Tesda trainers.

To date, there are around 427 operating economic zones in various locations across the Philippines housing businesses of both local and foreign investors.

The partnership, according to PEZA, is expected to benefit not only workers within economic zones but also the broader Philippine economy by boosting productivity, creating more jobs, and fostering sustainable, inclusive economic growth.

Around 8 million Filipinos are directly employed by locators in PEZA economic zones nationwide, based on their records.

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