In a move to enhance the employability of senior high school students enrolled in the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track, the 2025 national budget will continue to fund free assessments for national certifications. This initiative, highlighted by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, aims to increase certification rates among these students, thereby improving their job prospects.
The budget includes a specific provision that mandates all SHS-TVL students to participate in these free assessments. This comes after the 2024 budget allocated PHP438.162 million for the same purpose, although much of the funds went unused due to the voluntary nature of the program. Last year, out of 1,039 students assessed, only 926 received certification.
The original goal for the 2023-2024 academic year was to certify 420,967 graduates, but this was revised down to 197,077. To address this shortfall and ensure the program’s continuity, the 2025 budget has set aside PHP275.86 million, in addition to the unspent funds from the previous year.
These funds will be managed under the Department of Education’s budget. Senator Gatchalian emphasized the importance of these efforts, stating, “We will continue to strive to provide free assessments for their national certifications. In addition to securing funding, we have also advocated for a policy making these assessments mandatory for SHS-TVL students.”