The Philippines will preside over the opening of the WorldSkills ASEAN Manila 2025 today, Aug. 25, with the main competition slated at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City.
The opening ceremony will be held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom on Aug. 25, while the closing ceremony on Aug. 30 will be at the SMX Convention Center, both in Pasay, too.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Jose Francisco Kiko Benitez, who chairs the interagency task force for the event, which will run until August 30, said in a statement over the weekend that preparations were in their final stages, covering infrastructure, logistics, competition equipment, and coordination with ASEAN counterparts.
“WorldSkills creates specific competency standards in selected skill domains. This ensures that what we teach [in TESDA] is at par with the rest of the world. The aspiration is to ensure that we are at par with global standards in terms of skills,” Benitez said during his visit to Filipino competitors in their final training sessions at the TESDA complex in Taguig on Wednesday, August 20.
The international competition will gather hundreds of skilled youth from Southeast Asia to compete in 32 skill areas.
TESDA has lined up side events, including a skills exhibition at the World Trade Center, cultural immersion programs, and the “One School, One Country” initiative, which will pair ASEAN delegations with local schools for cultural exchange.
Career guidance sessions and industry talks will also be held at PTTC to connect young people with potential career pathways.
The send-off ceremony for the Philippine delegation took place on Aug. 19, the same day Benitez convened the interagency task force to finalize preparations. (PNA)
