TRIFOCALIZATION OF THE PHILLIPINE

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

SERJOE ORVEN GUTIERREZ

College of PESCAR, Graduate School
West Visayas State University
HISTORY
The Education Act of 1982 created the Ministry of
Education, Culture and Sports which later became the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports in 1987 by
virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 117. The structure of
DECS as embodied in EO No. 117 has practically remain
unchanged until 1994 when the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), and 1995 when the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
were established to supervise tertiary degree programs
and non-degree technical-vocational programs,
respectively.
The Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM)
report provided the impetus for Congress to pass RA 7722
and RA 7796 in 1994 creating the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA), respectively.
OVERVIEW
“Everything that increases the role of subordinates happens
in decentralization and on the other hand, the roles
decrease in centralization.” Decentralization is a systematic
delegation of authority at all levels of management and in all
of the organization. Authority is retained to the top
management concerning major decisions and framing
policies that involve the whole organization. The rest of the
authority may be delegated to the middle level and lower
level of management. The administration of the educational
system in the Philippines is decentralized into three foci
(trifocalized) having three different agencies forefront the
three educational levels of the system.
The Department of Education, also
known as DepEd, forefronts the
country’s basic education covering
the primary, secondary and non-
formal basic education systems.
The Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority, also known
as TESDA, spearheads the country’s
technical and vocational trainings,
typically in two-year post-secondary
programs.
The Commission on Higher
Education, also known as CHED,
heads the administration of four-year
post-secondary and other advanced
degrees.
THE PURSUIT OF DECENTRALIZING THE
PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Reasons for pursuing the decentralization of the Philippine Education System:
1. Poor quality of education
2. Shortfalls in classrooms
3. Shortfalls in textbooks and teachers
4. Low achievement in science, math and language
5. Disparity in rural and urban areas in terms of achievement
6. Declining participation of the private sector

Programs with Recommendations to the Decentralization of the Philippine

Education System:

1. EDCOM (1991)
2. Philippine Education Sector Study (1998)
3. Philippine Commission on Education Reform (2000)
4. Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991
Education Reform Recommendations:

1. Promote school-based management as a system of empowering the school to

provide leadership and for the community that serves to have ownership of
the school
2. The trifocalization of education was intended to guarantee concentration on
basic education and effectiveness in the delivery of basic education
The Aspects of Decentralization
Decentralization aims to widen the decision making
while increasing responsibility and accountability.
The local government now play a role in construction,
repair and maintenance of school buildings and other
facilities of public primary and secondary schools,
establishment and maintenance of extension classes
when necessary, and sports activities at the division,
district, municipal and barangay levels.
 Principles and General objectives of Education
In the Philippines the education system aims to:
 Provide a broad general education that will assist each individual in society to attain
his/her potential as a human being, and enhance the range and quality of the
individual and the group;
 Help the individual participate in the basic functions of society and acquire the
essential educational foundation for his/her development into a productive and
versatile citizen;
 Train the nation’s manpower in the middle-level skills required for national
development;
 Develop the high-level professions that will provide leadership for the nation,
advance knowledge through research, and apply new knowledge for improving the
quality of human life;
 Respond effectively to changing needs and conditions through a system of educational
planning and evaluation.
THE DEPED VISION

We dream of Filipinos who passionately love their

country and whose values and competencies enable
them to realize their full potential and contribute
meaningfully to building the nation.

As a learner-centered public institution, the Department

of Education continuously improves itself to better serve
its stakeholders.
THE DEPED MISSION

To protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality,

equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education where:

Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and

motivating environment.
Teachers facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner.
Administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure an
enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to
happen.
Family, community, and other stakeholders are actively engaged and
share responsibility for developing life-long learners.
DEPED CORE VALUES

Maka-Diyos
Maka-tao
Makakalikasan
Makabansa
Goals of ALS:

 to protect and promote the right of all citizen to quality basic

education
 to promote the right of all citizens to quality basic education and such
education accessible to all by providing all Filipino children in the
elementary level and free education in the high school level. Such
education shall also include alternative learning system for out-of
school youth and adult learners. “(Section 2 of PA. 9155, the
Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001).
 to provide a viable alternative to the existing formal education
instruction, encompassing both the non-formal and informal sources of
knowledge and skills
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
was created on May 18, 1994 through the passage
of Republic Act No. 7722, or the Higher Education
Act of 1994. CHED, an attached agency to the Office
of the President for administrative purposes, is
headed by a chairperson and four commissioners,
each having a term of office of four years. The
Commission En Banc acts as a collegial body in
formulating plans, policies and strategies relating to
higher education and the operation of CHED.
The creation of CHED was part of a broad agenda of
reforms on the country’s education system outlined
by the Congressional Commission on Education
(EDCOM) in 1992. Part of the reforms was the
trifocalization of the education sector into three
governing bodies: the CHED for tertiary and
graduate education, the Department of Education
(DepEd) for basic education and the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) for technical-vocational and middle-level
education.
In 1997, Republic Act (RA) No. 8292, otherwise known as
the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997” was
passed to establish a complete, adequate and integrated
system of higher education. The said law also modified and
made uniform the composition of the Governing Boards of
chartered state universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide
in order to:(a) achieve a more coordinated and integrated
system of higher education;(b) render them more effective
in the formulation and implementation of policies on higher
education;(c) provide for more relevant direction in their
governance; and (d) ensure the enjoyment of academic
freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution.
VISION and MISSION

The Commission on Higher Education

catalyzes a Philippine higher education
system that is locally responsive and
globally competitive and serves as a force
for lifelong learning, innovation, and social
and cultural transformation.
MANDATE

Given the national government’s commitment to transformational leadership that puts

education as the central strategy for investing in the Filipino people, reducing poverty,
and building national competitiveness and pursuant to Republic Act 7722, CHED shall:

A. Promote relevant and quality higher education (i.e. higher education institutions and
programs are at par with international standards and graduates and professionals are
highly competent and recognized in the international arena);
B. Ensure that quality higher education is accessible to all who seek it particularly those
who may not be able to afford it;
C. Guarantee and protect academic freedom for continuing intellectual growth,
advancement of learning and research, development of responsible and effective
leadership, education of high level professionals, and enrichment of historical and
cultural heritages; and
D. Commit to moral ascendancy that eradicates corrupt practices, institutionalizes
transparency and accountability and encourages participatory governance in the
Commission and the sub-sector.
As provided for under Section 8 of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7722, the Commission on
Higher Education shall have the following powers and functions:

 Formulate and recommend development plans, policies, priorities, and programs

on higher education;
 Formulate and recommend development plans, policies, priorities, and programs
on research;
 Recommend to the executive and legislative branches priorities and grants on
higher education and research;
 Set minimum standards for programs and institutions of higher learning
recommended by panels of experts in the field and subject to public hearing, and
enforced the same;
 Monitor and evaluate the performance of programs and institutions of higher
learning for appropriate incentives as well as the imposition of sanctions such as,
but not limited to, diminution or withdrawal of subsidy, recommendation on the
downgrading or withdrawal of accreditation, program termination or school
course;
 Identify, support and develop potential centers of excellence in program areas needed
for the development of world-class scholarship, nation building and national
development;
 Recommend to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the budgets of
public institutions of higher learning as well as general guidelines for the use of their
income;
 Rationalize programs and institutions of higher learning and set standards, policies
and guidelines for the creation of new ones as well as the conversion or elevation of
schools to institutions of higher learning, subject to budgetary limitations and the
number of institutions of higher learning in the province or region where creation,
conversion or elevation is sought to be made;
 Develop criteria for allocating additional resources such as research and program
development grants, scholarships, and the other similar programs: Provided, that
these shall not detract from the fiscal autonomy already enjoyed by colleges and
universities;
 Direct or redirect purposive research by institutions of higher learning to meet the
needs of agro-industrialization and development;
 Devise and implement resource development schemes;
 Administer the Higher Education Development Fund, as
described in Section 10 of R.A. 7722, which will promote the
purposes of higher education;
 Review the charters of institutions of higher learning and state
universities and colleges including the chairmanship and
membership of their governing bodies and recommend
appropriate measures as basis for necessary action;
 Promulgate such rules and regulations and exercise such other
powers and functions as may be necessary to carry out
effectively the purpose and objectives of R.A. 7722; and
 Perform such other functions as may be necessary for its
effective operations and for the continued enhancement,
growth and development of higher education.
Commission on Higher Education Projects and Programs:

 Faculty Development (FacDev) Student Financial

Assistance Programs (StuFAPs)
 Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and
Accreditation Program (ETEEAP)
 National Agriculture and Fisheries Education System
(NAFES)
 Centers of Excellence/Development (COE/COD)
 CHED Thesis / Dissertation Grants / Paper
Presentation / Visiting Research Fellow
Vision
The transformational leader in the technical education and skills
development of the Filipino workforce.

Mission
TESDA sets direction, promulgates relevant standards, and
implements programs geared towards a quality-assured and inclusive
technical education and skills development and certification system.

Values Statement
We believe in demonstrated competence, institutional integrity,
personal commitment, culture of innovativeness and a deep sense of
nationalism.
The Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) was established through the
enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known as
the "Technical Education and Skills Development Act of
1994", which was signed into law by President Fidel V.
Ramos on August 25, 1994. This Act aims to encourage
the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor,
local government units and technical-vocational
institutions in the skills development of the country's
human resources.
The merging of the National Manpower and
Youth Council (NMYC) of the Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE). The Bureau of
Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) of
the Department of Education, Culture and
Sports (DECS), and The Apprenticeship Program
of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) of
the DOLE gave birth to TESDA.
The fusion of the above offices was one of the key
recommendations of the 1991 Report of the Congressional
Commission on Education, which undertook a national review of
the state of Philippine education and manpower development. It
was meant to reduce overlapping in skills development activities
initiated by various public and private sector agencies, and to
provide national directions for the country's technical-vocational
education and training (TVET) system. Hence, a major thrust of
TESDA is the formulation of a comprehensive development plan
for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical
Education and Skills Development Plan. This plan shall provide
for a reformed industry-based training program that includes
apprenticeship, dual training system and other similar schemes.
TESDA is mandated to:

1.Integrate, coordinate and monitor skills development

programs;
2.Restructure efforts to promote and develop middle-level
manpower;
3.Approve skills standards and tests;
4.Develop an accreditation system for institutions involved in
middle-level manpower development;
5.Fund programs and projects for technical education and
skills development; and
6.Assist trainers training programs.
At the same time, TESDA is expected to:

1.Devolve training functions to local governments;

2.Reform the apprenticeship program;
3.Involve industry/employers in skills training;
4.Formulate a skills development plan;
5.Develop and administer training incentives;
6.Organize skills competitions; and
7.Manage skills development funds.
Overall, TESDA formulates manpower and skills plans, sets
appropriate skills standards and tests, coordinates and
monitors manpower policies and programs, and provides policy
directions and guidelines for resource allocation for the TVET
institutions in both the private and public sectors.

Today, TESDA has evolved into an organization that is

responsive, effective and efficient in delivering myriad services
to its clients. To accomplish its multi-pronged mission, the
TESDA Board has been formulating strategies and programs
geared towards yielding the highest impact on manpower
development in various areas, industry sectors and institutions.
TVETClientele
High School Graduates

Secondary School Leavers

College Undergraduates
Graduates who want to acquire
competencies in different occupational
fields
Delivery Modes
Formal School-Based
Programs
Center-Based Non-Formal
Training Programs

Community-Based Programs

Enterprise-Based Programs
TVET Delivery Networks

121 TESDA 15 45 4
Technology Regional Provincial Specialized
Institutes Training Training Training
Centers Centers Centers
Other Public TVET
Providers
State Universities
and Colleges
(SUCs)
LGUs
Local Colleges
Offering Non-
Degree Programs Other
Government
Agencies
Providing Skills
DepEd Training Programs
supervised
schools
Target Beneficiaries:

 Trainees/ Students
 Companies
 Schools
 Training Centers
 Training Institutions
 IBs/Industry Associations
 LGUs
 NGOs
 GOs
 Parents
 Teachers
 Trainers
Benefits of the Dual Training System:

FOR STUDENTS

 Quality training and proper skills, work attitude and knowledge

 Enhanced employability after training
 Better chances for career mobility
 Allowance for transportation and other expenses. FOR COMPANIES:
 Workers developed according to the company's needs
 Guaranteed highly skilled and productive workers
 Savings on production cost through tax incentives FOR SCHOOLS:
 Less need for sophisticated equipment and facilities
 Responsiveness to industries' needs
 Maximized use of equipment and facilities
 Better employment opportunities for its graduates
 Enhanced public image
 Tax exemption for imported equipment