230,000 TESDA Scholarship Slots at Risk Due to Budget Cut
TESDA – A proposed budget cut for TESDA could significantly reduce the number of Filipinos who will receive scholarship opportunities for technical and vocational training in 2027.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is warning that around 230,000 scholarship slots could be lost in 2027 if the agency’s proposed budget reduction pushes through.
TESDA Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Benitez said the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Office of the President to Congress allocates P20.9 billion for the agency. The amount is significantly lower than TESDA’s original P39-billion budget proposal, representing a 46 percent reduction.
The proposed allocation is also about 20 percent below TESDA’s P26-billion budget for 2026.
Benitez said the funding cut could bring the number of TESDA scholarship slots next year down to approximately 400,000. This would be a substantial decrease from the roughly 630,000 scholars being served by the agency this year.
“Kung ma-reduce ang budget ng Tesda for fiscal year 2027, mag-decrease ang number of scholarship slots that we can serve (If Tesda’s budget for fiscal year 2027 is reduced, the number of scholarship slots we can offer will also decrease),” Benitez said.
He explained that higher-level training offerings, particularly TESDA’s diploma programs, are expected to face the greatest impact because of limited funding.
“The ones that will be affected are our diploma programs. The higher-level programs that we worked hard to expand are the ones that will have insufficient funding,” he added.
TESDA has appealed to both chambers of Congress to provide additional funding for 2027, particularly for its diploma programs under the “Universal Access to Tertiary Education” initiative.
During his visit to Lanao del Norte, Benitez also highlighted the role of TVET alumni in connecting graduates with employment opportunities. He said alumni understand industry demands and can help new graduates identify suitable jobs.
He also discussed TESDA’s collaboration with local government units through initiatives such as the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP) and Train Lokal, which supports community-based skills training and workforce planning.
TESDA Lanao del Norte provincial director Norayah Acas said local stakeholders continue to actively support skills development.
Iligan City Mayor Frederick Siao, meanwhile, said the city government has set aside P10 million from its Local School Board to assist TESDA programs, particularly benefiting residents from low-income communities seeking new skills and employment opportunities.
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