Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Students pasteurize bottles of mango jam for longer shelf life during their class on Food Processing at the Pasay Makati District Training and Assessment Center (PMDTAC) inside the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) complex in Taguig City on March 10, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17846363213871709027179587.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Students pasteurize bottles of mango jam for longer shelf life during their class on Food Processing at the Pasay Makati District Training and Assessment Center (PMDTAC) inside the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) complex in Taguig City on March 10, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA — The Philippine and Australian governments on Tuesday launched a five-year, P1.6-billion education program aimed at improving the quality of senior high school education and producing graduates with skills aligned with the country&#x27;s evolving labor market.The Education Quality for Inclusive Prosperity (EQUIP) program, a grant-funded initiative of the Australian government implemented in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), seeks to strengthen the quality, accessibility and industry relevance of senior secondary education.Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco &quot;Kiko&quot; Benitez led the launch at Mariano Marcos Memorial High School in Manila.The program will initially be implemented in pilot schools in Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela and Parañaque before expanding to other regions.Benitez said the program marks a significant milestone in the convergence between DepEd and TESDA, particularly as the government rolls out the strengthened technical-vocational track under the revised senior high school curriculum.&quot;Ang EQUIP ay isang malaking bahagi po ng aming convergence between DepEd and TESDA. Lalong-lalo na sa pagpapalakas ng ating tech-voc track…na niro-rollout ng senior high school,&quot; Benitez said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/27/marcos-wants-tech-voc-training-integrated-in-senior-high-curriculum-1742">Marcos wants tech-voc training integrated in senior high curriculum</a></div>&quot;Sa bagong curriculum kung saan mai-embed ang mga NC (National Certificate) training ng TESDA at ang free assessment po para sa kanila, magkakaroon sana ng mas maraming estudyante ng senior high school na mag-graduate na may diploma na at may NC pa galing sa TESDA,&quot; he added.Officials said the initiative supports DepEd&#x27;s reform agenda by strengthening school-industry partnerships, workplace immersion, career guidance, technical-vocational education and skills certification to better prepare senior high school graduates for employment or higher education.&quot;Ang malaking bagay siguro para sa amin, the grant from Australia government is actually going to help us ensure na meron kaming mas magandang digital infrastructure for planning para po iyong mga skills na tine-training natin sa isang area, halimbawa, makikita at matatanaw natin ng mabilis kung ano ang pangangailangan o demand ng ating mga estudyante sa bawat senior high school ng DepEd,&quot; Benitez said.Angara said Australia&#x27;s support complements the government&#x27;s efforts to reform senior high school education through closer coordination between DepEd and TESDA, with the goal of producing more employable graduates and future entrepreneurs.&quot;Kung anong ginagawa ng TESDA, kailangan ma-download namin iyon sa mga 40,000 na paaralan or at least iyong merong TechPro (technical-vocational) programs. At ang maganda dito, gusto nga ni pangulo, magkakatrabaho tayo, gaganda iyong skills, we&#x27;re going to build entrepreneurs, lahat ng pwedeng magpaganda ng buhay ng kabataan, gusto natin gawin,&quot; Angara said.The education chief added that Australia is among the world&#x27;s leaders in technical and vocational education, making the partnership an opportunity for the Philippines to adopt international best practices in developing a workforce that meets industry needs.Addressing students during the launch, Wong encouraged young Filipinos to maximize the opportunities education provides, saying hard work in school can open doors for their future.&quot;We have been in partnership for over 30 years. And today, as the secretary said, we begin a new and exciting chapter in that partnership. And over the next five years, Australia will invest over 1.6 billion pesos in a new education program called the Education Quality for Inclusive Prosperity, EQUIP,&quot; Wong said.She said the program would also invest in teachers by supporting initiatives to improve their skills and professional development.&quot;I want to say something to all the teachers here. You are the backbone of quality education and that is one of the reasons why EQUIP will support initiatives to uplift and upskill senior high school teachers. And not only are you the backbone of quality education, schools and teachers are the backbone of community,&quot; Wong said.

The Philippine and Australian governments on Tuesday launched a five-year, P1.6-billion education program aimed at improving the quality of senior high school education and producing graduates with skills aligned with the country's evolving labor market.

The Philippine and Australian governments on Tuesday launched a five-year, P1.6-billion education program aimed at improving the quality of senior high school education and producing graduates with skills aligned with the country's evolving labor market.

Australia, DepEd launch P1.6-B initiative to align senior high education with jobs

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Australia, DepEd launch P1.6-B initiative to align senior high education with jobs

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 21, 2026 08:22 PM PHT

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DepEd

Australia

EQUIP program

Senior High School

TESDA

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