Jea Nicole

In a move to align the goals of the education and labor sectors, Education Secretary Sonny Angara presided over a high-level Philippine Qualifications Framework-National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC) meeting, bringing together the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA for strengthened coordination.


“What was once a seldom-seen level of collaboration is now becoming the standard. Our trifocal education system is leading the way in building a system that connects education more directly with employment,” Secretary Angara said on Thursday, April 16.

Angara outlined three strategic priorities, including adopting long-term national learning outcome standards for all education and training levels, developing smooth avenues for learner and worker mobility across sectors and industries, and aligning Philippine qualifications with international benchmarks to increase global recognition and competitiveness. 

“The PQF is a comprehensive system that sets transparent, unified standards across education, training, and employment. By aligning competencies and skills with both local and global demands, the PQF shall empower Filipinos with the qualifications and mobility necessary to thrive in an increasingly evolving world,” said Angara.

The Education Secretary also stressed the importance of incorporating critical and strategic thinking, along with positive attitudes towards learning, as these are deemed critical qualities for continuous learning and professional adaptability.

Looking ahead, DepEd will start incorporating PQF-based skills into the K to 12 curriculum, improve teacher training to support learning focused on competencies, and collaborate with TESDA and CHED to simplify program offerings based on job market needs.

They will also increase engagement with industry stakeholders to ensure the reforms are based on actual workplace skill requirements.

For its part, the PQF-NCC will work to create processes for collaborative labor market analysis, curriculum alignment, industry consultation, regional awareness campaigns, and updates to qualification standards.  

“We must build a system where every Filipino can transform learning into lasting opportunity, where skills open doors, and every qualification bears the strength of our nation’s ambition to drive inclusive and sustained growth,” said Angara.

In an effort to make the Senior High School (SHS) program more responsive to the demands of universities and the job market, TESDA and DepEd recently signed a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) on Quality Assurance of Senior High School Technical Vocational Education.

The revised and streamlined DepEd curriculum will be implemented starting the school year 2025-2026.