TESDA Kayang-Kaya Caravan opens

CEBU, Philippines —  The Kayang-Kaya ALL-IN-ONE Caravan opened at SM Seaside City Cebu yesterday, bringing training, assessment, scholarship, and employment services closer to Cebuanos in a one-stop rollout aimed at linking skills directly to jobs.

“Every visit reminds me of how vibrant and inspiring Cebuanos are. Maswerte ang Cebu because you have leaders and local institutional mechanisms that understand the importance of skills training, which makes programs like this caravan possible,” said TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez in his keynote message during the opening.

“This is an all-in-one caravan designed so that everything you need is already here. We have many, many services and many new reforms that we are rolling out nationwide this year. Nandito na rin ang TESDA Skills Passport registration, ang aming bagong-bagong career guidance. We have enrollment, an actual Training Induction Program, and the opening of LandBank PISO accounts so that all the allowances will go directly to your account,” he added.

He said the caravan also includes actual skills training for those in need of short-term upskilling, competency assessment, and a job fair for employment seekers.

During the K-Time: Kumustahan Time with TESDA Scholars and Partners, Benitez said: “Within the registry of TESDA, we service around 1.6 million to 1.8 million Filipinos. But not all are scholars. These are everybody who goes to the TVET system in a phase-to-phase manner, those that go to the online program. We also have to provide greater access to online training from the TESDA training program. If you add the E-TESDA program, it’s an additional two million to three million Filipinos. So, it’s almost five million each year.”

“The scholarship specifically, this is the biggest budget for scholarships for TESDA. For this year, 2026, we are targeting 650,000 scholars. We are halfway through. I think wala pa sa 200,000 ang na-distribute, so this is rolling and ongoing until we reach 650,000,” he added.

Also featured during the program was John Roy Rigodon, who placed Top 4 in the March 2026 Licensure Examination for Electronics Technology, who shared how tech-voc became his path after he dropped out during the pandemic.

“I was one of the damages of the pandemic. I dropped out because of the crisis. From to get that bachelor’s degree to TECHVOC. So, at first, it was just my second option, but then, through studying and knowing, I really appreciated the beauty and practicality of TECHVOC. There, na-learn nako how we are really exposed through training. First, second choice, but after all this, ako’y una mo-promote g’yud sa TECHVOC,” Rigodon said.

Benitez said the caravan forms part of TESDA’s mission “to help more Filipinos rise above poverty through skills, opportunity, and employment.” — Chain Lee Templo, CTU-Tuburan intern  (FREEMAN)