MANILA — The Philippines emerged as one of the top-performing nations at WorldSkills ASEAN Manila 2025, winning 10 gold medals during the competition held Aug. 25 to 30 in Pasay City.
The gold medals were earned in 10 skill areas, including in three demonstration events such as industrial control, car-pentry, and plumbing and heating.
The gold medalists were Hannah Krystelle Caintic (Graphic Design Technology); Hay-den Christian Gravador and Gian Benedict Cariño (Internet-of-Things); John Patrick Torres and Steven Retirado (CNC Mainte-nance); Agee Docayso (Cooking); Carlos Antonio Delos Reyes (Hotel Reception); James Cavin Sayago (Electrical Installa-tions); Denmark Dadia (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning); James Bryan Estrada (Industrial Control); Honorato Amad II (Carpentry); and Alexis Joseph Anuta (Plumbing and Heating).
The last time the country won a gold medal was in Vietnam in 2004 in the Re-frigeration and Air-Conditioning skill area.
In his speech at the closing ceremony, Technical Education and Skills Develop-ment Authority (TESDA) Secretary Jose Francisco Kiko Benitez congratulated the competitors for their performance and reminded them about the competition’s significance.
“What we witnessed was bigger than medals, Benitez said. “We saw not just skills, but discipline. Not just competition, but collaboration. Not just dreams, but the courage to make them real.”
TESDA-CAR proved its culinary excellence anew after one of its scholars won in the WorldSkills ASEAN Manila.
Agee Docayso, a graduating Diploma in Culinary Arts Technology student of the Cordillera State Institute of Technology Education (CSITE), showcased exceptional skill in preparing multi-course dishes.
“Everything was judged based on prepa-ration, cleanliness, performance, dish presentation and taste,” Docayso told the Philippine News Agency.
“I just concentrated on my task and did what I was trained to do,” he said.
TESDA-CAR said it has built a strong repu-tation in the cooking category, consistent-ly bringing home awards since 2014.
Chef Mary Kristine Iris Pasion, Docayso’s coach, said in a separate interview, that their mindset from the start was to aim for gold.
“We were confident we could get the title. We have been consistently bringing home awards in the category since 2014 and we had hoped to get the gold once again,” Pasion said.
“When we wake up and meet our trainees, we always greet them with a ‘gold morn-ing.’”
Pasion said previous winners from TESDA-CAR included Joshua Lizardo (2014 in Vi-etnam), Jonathan Supsupin (2022 special edition) and Allen Gacweng (2023 Singa-pore).
The biennial event, hosted this year by TESDA, brought together hundreds of young skilled professionals from 10 Southeast Asian member countries. They competed in 32 skill areas, celebrating technical expertise and innovation across the region. (PNA)
