Foreword



Technical and vocational education has always been an important component of UNESCO’s consecutive Medium Term Plans. The basic objective of this programme is to support the efforts of Member States to link education systems more closely to the world of work and to promote the expansion and improvement of technical and vocational education in the light of changing employment needs.

The Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician Education (CPSC) also dedicates itself primarily to enhancing the growth and development of the technician education systems in its member countries which are located in the Asia and Pacific region. Its programmes, projects and activities are geared to provide the needed impetus for the professional development of senior level personnel involved in technician education development efforts.

UNESCO has launched an International Project on Technical and Vocational Education (UNEVOC) as of 1992 in co-operation with the Government of Germany, ILO, FAO, UNDP and NGOs interested in the reform of technical and vocational education. This project focuses on exchanging information, research and experiences on policy and programme issues in technical and vocational education through a network of co-operating institutions.

In a spirit of co-operation between UNESCO and CPSC, under UNEVOC, an attempt is being made to compile and publish studies on the development of technical and vocational education in Member States in the form of TVE profiles of 21 countries. It is hoped that this series will serve as a handy reference information on TVE systems, staff development, technical co-operation and information networking. These studies have been possible because of the full co-operation to UNESCO PROAP and CPSC by all concerned in the Member States.

The opinions expressed in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of UNESCO and CPSC in this regard. This profile on Philippines was prepared by Prof. Lemuel M. Miravalles, Seconded Faculty Member to CPSC by the Government of Philippines.

C.K. Basu
Director, CPSC

Victor Ordonez
Director, UNESCO PROAP

Part I: Overview


Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) in the Philippines has a long history and is an integral part of the country’s formal education system. TVE builds upon six years of compulsory elementary education (grades 1-6) beginning at age 7 followed by four years of secondary education at ages 13 to 16.

The formal TVE programmes are classified as post-secondary non-degree, ranging from six months to three years in duration and require the completion of secondary education as one of the pre-requisites for admission.

Specifically, technical and vocational education in the Philippines is that level of education which develops the operatives, craftsmen and technicians with the appropriate knowledge, attitude and skills in the various occupational clusters of industries.

TVE graduates are expected to possess the following:

　　1. Basic occupational skills for entrance into gainful employment;
　　2. Conceptual skills for analysis of problems typical in occupational performance;
　　3. Basic scientific and mathematical skills for precision design interpretation;
　　4. Work attitudes and habits for better efficiency and effectiveness in job performance; and,
　　5. Written and graphical language skills in job performance.

Technical and vocational education in the Philippines covers five main fields. These are: (1) Trade; (2) Agriculture/Agro-industry; (3) Fisheries; (4) Craftsman/Home Industries; and, (5) Non-Traditional Courses.

These main fields comprise more than 250 different courses offered nationwide by various public and private schools of arts and trades, agricultural/agro-industrial schools, fishery schools, craftsman/home industries schools, computer training schools, etc.

The form and substance of all courses are determined by means of instructional materials, syllabi and curricula formulated by the Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS). Depending on the course, both syllabus and curriculum consist of a description of objectives, teaching guides, student manuals, evaluation guidelines and plans of suggested instructional resources issued to the field as a DECS order.

Technical and vocational education, one of the subsystems of the Philippines Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, consists of the following major components:

1. Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) - DECS is the principal agency of the Philippine government responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, adequate and integrated system of education, both formal and non-formal, relevant to the goals of national development. DECS, headed by a Department Secretary, is primarily responsible for the formulation, planning, implementation and co-ordination of the policies, plans, programmes and projects in the areas of elementary, secondary and physical education, technical and vocational education, higher education, non-formal education and the development of culture. DECS supervises all educational institutions both public and private.
2. Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) - Created under Batas Pambansa Bilang 232, otherwise known as the Education Act of 1982, BTVE, a staff bureau of the DECS, is mandated to provide leadership and a unified direction in the development and promotion of the formal technical and vocational education subsystem.

3. Technical Panel for Technical and Vocational Education (TPTVE) - TPTVE serves as a consultative, advisory and policy-recommending body to the BTVE Director and the DECS Secretary on TVE matters. TPTVE brings into one group varied policy and decision-makers from both public and private sectors and co-ordinates linkages with other sectors of the formal and non-formal TVE system.

4. DECS Regional Offices - As part of the decentralization programme of the DECS, Regional Directors exercise direct supervision over all public TVE schools in their respective regions. In particular, the TVE Division of the DECS Regional Offices, headed by Division Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs, is concerned with the implementation and regulation of all policies and standards on TVE in their respective areas.

5. TVE Networks - These networks were established to enable the effective, efficient and functional delivery of technical and vocational education in the Philippines. In order to put networking in action, the following were established: (1) A National Centre in each of the areas in TVE, i.e., agriculture, trade, fishery, home industries; (2) A Zonal Centre in each of the major geographic classifications, i.e., Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao; (3) A Regional Centre in each of the 13 regions; and (4) A Provincial Training Institute in each of the 72 provinces.

6. State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) - As chartered schools, the SUCs have administrative autonomy and are not under the direct supervision of the DECS Regional Offices. However, by virtue of his chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of SUCs, the Secretary of Education or his Undersecretaries continue to govern the state universities and colleges. Many SUCs offer post-secondary TVE programmes as well as a degree programme for TVE teachers.

7. Private Universities and Colleges - Many private schools offer post-secondary TVE programmes all over the country.

8. Technical Panel for Agricultural Education (TPAE) - TPAE has similar functions to that of the Technical Panel for TVE. However, unlike TPTVE which is attached to the BTVE, the TPAE is attached to the DECS Bureau of Higher Education.

The attached Figures, Tables and Charts give a detailed profile of the Philippine TVE system.

Part II: Milestones in Technical and Vocational Education1

2.1 Spanish Period


Formal education in the Philippines started as early as 1595. Technical-vocational education was introduced years later in the university level.

2.2 Philippine Revolutionary Period


Development of national consciousness reached its apex thereby causing the Philippine revolution. Schools were allowed to operate after recovering from the ravages of war.

2.3 American Period


Education became systematic. Vocational courses were introduced into the educational system out of the need for non-formal education.

1901 Act 74 of the Philippine Commission authorized the establishment of the Manila Trade School which became the Philippine College of Arts and Trades (PCAT) in 1959 and now Technological University of the Philippines (TUP). During the period, vocational schools were established either as national or provincial schools.
1902 Act 372 of the Philippine Commission laid down the foundations of the public system of education in the Philippines.

1904 Agricultural and trade curriculum was organized on an experimental basis. The first agricultural school was established at the Mehan Garden (now called the Central Park) near the City Hall of Manila.

1916 The two-year and four-year normal curricula were adopted. Vocational courses were offered jointly with or separately from the academic curriculum.

1924 Monroe Survey Commission pointed out the defects of the educational system and recommended the establishment of more technical vocational schools.
1927 Commonwealth Act 3377 under the Commonwealth Government, otherwise known as the Vocational Education Act of 1927, laid the foundations for technical-vocational education. The Act provided that the controlling purposes of vocational trade and technical education is to fit the individual for gainful employment.

1937 A committee headed by McCormick was created to reorganize the educational system. The committee recommended the adoption of the Type A and B curricula. Type A curriculum requires vocational courses and in the Type B curriculum vocational courses are offered as electives.

1938 Commonwealth Act no. 313 transferred the Cebu School of Arts and Trades (now Cebu State College of Science and Technology), Iloilo School of Arts and Trades (now Western Visayas College of Science and Technology), the Visayas Agricultural School (now Visayas State college of Agriculture) and the Mindanao Agricultural College (now Central Mindanao University) from provincial to national schools/colleges headed by fully-fledged superintendents.

2.4 Japanese Occupation Period


Vocational schools existing/operating prior to World War II were allowed to offer the same curriculum.


2.5 Philippine Republic Period

1948 A joint congressional committee on education was created and recommended the creation of the Board of National Education under RA No. 1124. This board recommended the adoption of the 2-2 plan curriculum.
1953 Republic Act No. 175 was passed giving vocational schools the option to collect tuition fees not exceeding those charged in general high schools in the province, city or municipality.

Republic Act No. 364, known as the Special Trust Fund Law, authorized vocational schools to collect tuition fees, receive contributions and donations from private persons and contract loans from government and private financial institutions, the proceeds of which constitute the special trust fund of the school.

Republic Act No. 415 was passed to provide special funds for teacher education institutions.

Republic Act No. 948 authorized the conversion of all provincial city and municipal trade schools into national schools.

Republic Act No. 975 authorized the Secretary of Education to confer appropriate degrees to those who have completed four-year training courses.

1954 The position of Assistant Director for vocational education was created in the Bureau of Public Schools and a division of vocational education in the General Office was organized. Dr. Pedro Guiang was the first Assistant Director of Vocational Education.

1960 ICA-NEL Survey Team undertook a study of the public school system and discovered that there were vocational schools with no quality vocational equipment, materials or teachers thus making it impossible for vocational education to be effective.

1963 Republic Act No. 3742 created the Bureau of Technical Vocational Education which was given the responsibility of administering all public vocational schools. The Bureau was mandated to strengthen, promote, co-ordinate and expand the programmes of the country through the development of skilled manpower in agriculture, industry, trade, fishery and other vocational programmes.

1972 Presidential Decree No. 6-A issued on September 29, 1972, known as the Educational Development Act of 1972, declared that the training of the nation’s manpower in the middle-level was required for national development. It set the tone for the new thrust of education that the development of skilled manpower would be among the priority objectives that must be pursued.

1975 The re-organization committee re-organized the national system and abolished the Bureau of Vocational Education on 1 July 1975.

1975- For the next ten years, technical and vocational education 1985 programmes were divided between the Bureau of Secondary Education for Secondary Vocational Courses and the Bureau of Higher Education for post-secondary programmes. Since it was no longer treated as a special education programme, technical and vocational education was left on its own. This hampered its development and growth.

1979 A Presidential Study Committee on Vocational-Technical Education was created to undertake a general review of the technical and vocational education system in relation to the national development goals. The Committee recommended the re-creation of the Bureau, known today as the Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education, as a Staff Bureau under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).

1982 Batas Pambansa Blg. 232, known as the Education Act of 1982, created the Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education. This Bureau is mandated to provide a unified direction of policies, guidelines and plans to improve technical and vocational education and its support mechanism.

1985 The Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education started its operations. Dr. Pedro L. Esteban and Dr. Alcestis Guiang were appointed Director and Assistant Director, respectively, of the BTVE.

Network of Technical Education Institutes and Staff Development Centres under the Technical-Vocational Education Project (TVEP)

Type/Name of Institution		Region	City
A. National Centre for Technical Education and Staff Development (NCTESD)
	1. Marikina Institute of Science and Technology	NCR	Marikina, Metro Manila
B. Regional Centre for Technical Education and Staff Development (RCTESD)
	1. Regional CTESD in Luzon, Manila Technical Institute, Technological University of the Philippines-Taguig Campus	NCR	Taguig, Metro Manila
	2. Regional CTESD in Visayas, Cebu State College of Science and Technology	VII	Cebu City
	3. Regional CTESD in Mindanao, University of South-Eastern Philippines	XI	Davao City
C. Technical Education Institutes (TEls)
	1. La Union School of Arts and Trades	I	San Fernando, La Union
	2. Mariano Marcos State University	I	Laoag, llocos Norte
	3. Nueva Viscaya School of Arts and Trades	II	Bambang, Nueva Viscaya
	4. Cagayan State University	II	Tuguegarao, Cagayan
	5. Bataan School of Arts and Trades	III	Bataan
	6. Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trades	III	Bacolor, Pampanga
	7. Cavite College of Arts and Trades	IV	Cavite
	8. Pablo Borbon Memorial Institute	IV	Batangas City
	9. Camarines Sur National College of Arts and Trades	v	Naga City
	10. Sorsogon School of Arts and Trades	v	Sorsogon
	11. Western Visayas College of Science and Technology	VI	lloilo City
	12. Bacolod City National Trade School	VI	Bacolod City
	13. East Visayas School of Arts and Trades	VII	Dumaguete
	14. Samar School of Arts and Trades	VIII	Samar
	15. Zamboanga School of Arts and Trades	IX	Zamboanga City
	16. Surigao School of Arts and Trades	X	Surigao
	17. Kidapawan Trade School	XII	Kidapawan
	18. Xavier University	X	Cagayan de Oro
	19. Emilio Aguinaldo College	IV	Dasmarinas, Cavite

Reference: 1982, Technical and Vocational Education Project of the Philippines

BTVE and its Linkages





Bureau of Technical and Vocational Education (BTVE) Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS)

　　　　　　　

BUREAU OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION (BTVE) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS (DECS)

Number of Technical and Vocational Institutions by Ownership

Number of Technical and Vocational Institutions by Ownership

Owner	SY 85-86		SY 86-87		SY 87-89		SY 88-89		SY 89-90		SY 90-91
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
Gov’t	318	390	256	306	156	211	209	255	333	352	335	266
Private	498	610	581	694	581	789	612	745	612	648	926	734
Total	816	100	837	100	737	100	945	100	945	100	1,261	100

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Tables 1 and 4.

Number of Government and Private Technical and Vocational Institutions by Region, SY 1990-1991

Number of Government and Private Technical and Vocational Institutions by Region SY 1990-1991

	NCR		CAR		I		II		III		IV		V		VI		VII		VIII		IX		X		XI		XII
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No.	%	No	%	No	%
Gov t	2	10	17	436	17	233	37	544	21	196	35	223	25	219	34	351	11	200	65	823	20	408	20	217	21	256	10	213
Private	200	990	22	564	56	767	31	456	86	804	122	777	89	781	63	649	44	800	14	177	29	592	72	783	61	744	37	787
Total	202	100	39	100	73	100	68	100	107	100	157	100	114	100	97	100	55	100	79	100	49	100	92	100	82	100	47	100

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin

Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) Programmes

Number of Government Technical and Vocational Institutions by the Type of School

Number of Government Technical and Vocational Institutions by Type of School

Type of School	SY 85-86		SY 86-87		SY 87-88		SY 88-89		SY 89-90		SY 90-91
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Arts and Trades (ATr)	133	41.8	101	39.4	71	455	92	44.0	129	387	135	40.3
Agnculture/Agro Industry (AAI)	99	311	88	344	50	320	69	33.0	114	343	109	32.5
Fisheries (F)	68	21.4	56	21.9	24	15.4	38	182	72	216	74	22.1
Craftsman/Home Industries (CHI)	18	5.7	11	4.3	11	71	10	4.8	18	54	17	5.1
Total	318	100	256	100	156	100	333	100	333	100	335	100

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Tables 3 and 5.

Number of Government Schools by the Type of Schools and by Region, SY 1990-1991 ms. p.18

Number of Government Schools by Type of School and by Region, SY 1990-1991

	NCR	CAR	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	IX	X	XI	XII	Total
ATr	1	7	3	15	9	16	10	12	5	24	9	9	10	5	135
AAI	...	9	7	16	5	6	6	13	3	24	5	5	6	4	109
F	...	...	6	6	4	11	8	7	3	13	6	4	5	1	74
CHI	1	I	1	...	3	2	1	2	...	4	...	2	...	...	17
Total	2	17	17	37	21	35	25	34	11	65	20	20	21	10	335

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Table 3

Post Secondary Enrolment in Government and Private Schools

Post Secondary Enrolment in Government and Private Schools

School	SY 85-86		SY 86-87		SY 87-88		SY 88-89		SY 89-90		SY 90-91
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
Gov’t	30,211	135	35,944	149	37,810	147	32,606	109	50,343	153	50,644	140
Private	193,795	865	205,880	85 1	218,735	853	267,727	89 1	278,508	847	311,092	860
Total	224,006	100	241,824	100	256,545	100	300,333	100	328,851	100	361,736	100

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Tables 15 and 16

Post Secondary Enrolment in Government Technical and Vocational Schools by Type of School

Post Secondary Enrolment in Government Technical and Vocational Schools by Type of School

Type of School	SY 85-86	SY 86-87	SY 87-88	SY 88-89	SY 89-90	SY 90-91
Arts and Trades (ATr)	19,335	23,037	24,533	19,360	32,424	32,617
Agriculure/Agro Industry (AAI)	6,646	7,771	8,592	2,823	7,198	7,242
Fisheries (F)	3,323	3,779	4,242	3,363	7,711	7,757
Craftsman/Home Industries (CHI)	302	314	443	942	3,010	3,028
Others	605	1,043		6,118
Total	30,211	35,544	37,810	32,606	50,343	50,644

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Table 18.

Post Secondary Enrolment in Government and Private Schools by Region SY 1990-91

Post Secondary Enrolment in Government and Private Schools by Region, SY 1990-1991

	NCR	CAR	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	IX	X	XI	XII	Total
Government	2,749	935	11,452	1,218	2,623	4,528	5,030	2,771	5,676	6,036	1,833	1,876	2,045	1,872	50,644
Private	150,795	10,683	11,449	6,181	12,287	18,519	17,872	34,536	13,134	10,053	3,269	6,705	12,873	2,736	311,092
Total	153,544	11,618	22,901	7,399	14,910	23,047	22,902	37,307	18,810	16,089	5,102	8,581	14,918	4,608	361,736

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Table 15.

Post Secondary Graduates in Government and Private Schools

Post Secondary Graduates in Government and Private Schools

School	SY 85-86		SY 86-87		SY 87-88		SY 86-89		SY 69-90		SY 90-91
	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%	No	%
Govt	7,199	94	8,092	100	9,233	107	10,468	75	11,316	81	14,909	90
Private	69,790	906	73,200	900	77,038	893	129,655	925	129,068	919	150,744	910
Tola)	76,989	100	81.292	100	86.271	100	140,123	100	140,384	100	165,653	100

Reference: 1991 BTVE Statistical Bulletin, Tables 15 and 17.

Post Secondary Graduates in Government and Private Schools by Region SY 1990-1991

Post Secondary Graduates in Government and Private Schools by Region SY 1990-1991

	NCR	CAR	1	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	IX	X	XI	XII	Total
Government	246	427	1,707	356	1,281	1,992	1,138	1,707	854	2,277	427	996	1,074	427	14,909
Private	86,657	9,256	6,403	3,222	13,754	1,045	5,297	9,875	2,441	3,604	1,768	2,595	3,222	1,605	150,744
Total	86,903	9,683	8,110	3,578	15,035	3,037	6,435	11,582	3,295	5,881	2,195	3,591	4,296	2,032	165,653

Total Number of Enrolees and Graduates of the 3-Year Diploma of Technology

Total Number of Enrolees and Graduates of the 3-Year Diploma of Technology

Total Number	SY 86-87	SY 87-66	SY 88-89	SY 89-90	SY 96-91
Enrolees	1,863	2,022	3,233	4,059	4,004
Graduates	...	...	823	763	1,117

Total Number of Enrolees in the 3-Year Diploma of Technology by Technology Area

Number of Enrolees in the 3-Year Diploma of Technology by Technology Area

Technology Area	SY 86-87	SY 87-88	SY 88-89	SY 89-90	SY 90-91
AT (Automotive Technology)	338	372	835	1,004	954
CT (Civil Technology)	26	30	114	143	76
ELCT (Electrical Technology)	472	408	715	875	838
ELXT (Electronics Technology)