CLARK FREEPORT (PIA) — Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Kiko Benitez urged WorldSkills Philippines competitors to look beyond medals and turn their technical skills into productive work, sustainable livelihoods, and contributions to nation-building.
Speaking during Friday’s closing ceremony of WorldSkills Philippines–Clark 2026, Benitez said the competition should not be viewed as the culmination of the competitors’ training, but as another step in a much longer journey of skills development and lifelong learning.
“The world does not need you who have won this week. The world needs you to keep showing up next week, and the week after that, and the year after that,” he said.
Benitez said sustained skills development is essential to producing workers who can respond to real-world needs and contribute to economic activity in their communities.
He pointed to the practical value of technical skills—from building houses and fixing engines to starting businesses and supporting families—as examples of how competence can translate into economic and social contributions.
“The kind of skills [like these are] that we need, the kind of skills that actually build our nation,” he said.
The TESDA chief stressed that mastery does not come from a single competition or victory, but from continuous practice and experience.
“That is not the exception to mastery. That is the process of practice and mastery,” Benitez said.
He encouraged competitors to return to training after the competition and continue refining their skills as technology, workplaces, and industry requirements evolve.
“All you have to do is to pursue that path of lifelong learning, so you can unlock your potential,” he said.
Benitez also emphasized the dignity of skilled work, saying competence is built through disciplined practice and hands-on experience.
He likewise recognized the trainers, assessors, families, and industry partners who supported the competitors, underscoring the role of collaboration in strengthening technical-vocational education and training.
“TESDA has always been about partnerships,” Benitez said, emphasizing the importance of cooperation among government, education and training institutions, industry, and communities.
His message came as the Philippines prepared to send its national delegation to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, scheduled for September 22 to 26, where Filipino competitors will take their skills to the international stage.
For TESDA, the secretary said that the broader measure of WorldSkills success extends beyond medals, but more importantly in whether the skills developed through training and competition lead to competent workers, sustainable livelihoods, productive enterprises, and a workforce capable of contributing to national development. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
