EQUIPPING Filipinos with in-demand digital competencies, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) launched its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Training Program in Bacolod City.
This initiative, aligned with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., aims to expand access to AI-future-ready skills training to ensure that Filipinos are equipped to participate in the digital economy.
TESDA Deputy Director General Galo B. Glino III said they tapped the STI West Negros University for its strong brand and the nationwide presence of its education institutions to deliver AI readiness courses, at scale and at speed, to reach more people.
“TESDA, upon the instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the leadership of Secretary [Jose Francisco Benitez], has partnered with STI West Negros University to deliver AI-readiness courses. Hopefully makatulong ang training na ito (this training will help) to ready these scholars and learners to thrive, to be able to perform jobs in the labor market that now require AI tools,” Glino said at the April 29 kick-off of the program with the initial batch of scholars.
A total of 50 initial beneficiaries, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and solo parents, among others, were enrolled in the pilot implementation.
The batch is divided into two specialized tracks: 25 participants for Artificial Intelligence Prompting for Automation Level III and 25 for Data Collection and Annotation (Data Science/AI) Level II.
These training tracks are designed to develop advanced AI prompting skills for automation tasks, as well as competencies in data collection and annotation, enabling learners to produce high-quality inputs and effectively guide AI systems in generating accurate and reliable outputs.
The programs are funded under TESDA’s Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), ensuring full scholarship support for selected and deserving beneficiaries.
The agency emphasized that this initiative reflects its commitment to inclusive innovation, ensuring that no Filipino is left behind as industries continue to evolve toward automation and digitalization.
“At this point, we recognize that AI is not science fiction anymore. There are many AI-driven disruptions across industries right now. There are many applications and use cases of AI within a wide range of industries. We must catch up, we must adapt, we must prepare our workforce to be able to perform these new jobs and address the threats and risks of what we call technological unemployment, lay-offs, displacements because of AI tools, automation, all these different technologies,” Glino added.
These AI Readiness Programs are available in the following areas: Aklan, Bacolod, Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Cebu, General Santos City, Isabela, Manila, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Laguna, Leyte, Las Piñas, Pampanga, Quirino, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Tarlac.
This training is open to Filipino citizens who are:
* at least 18 years old by the time they complete the training,
* finished at least 10 years of basic education or hold an Alternative Learning System (ALS) Grade 10 certification,
* physically and mentally fit,
* can communicate in basic English (both spoken and written), and
* possess fundamental computer skills. (PIA)
