DAVAO CITY– The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in collaboration with the Municipality of Monkayo recently opened the first facility to offer National Competency II (NC II) assessment in Fine Jewelry.
The Jewelry Training Center, in the municipality of Monkayo, Davao de Oro is accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The center finally opened after more than 10 years.
The project began in 2014 after the original training center was destroyed in 2012 after Typhoon Pablo struck and devastated the region.
Through the cumulative efforts of DOST Davao Region, TESDA, and LGU Monkayo the project was sustained with the aim of helping local jewelry artisans and to revive the region’s jewelry-making industry.
The center has an investment budget of Php 1.345 million coming from the DOST under its “Smart and Sustainable Community Project”. The funds supported the upgrade of infrastructure and the development of a new curriculum tailored to the community’s needs.
“This center will not only provide empowerment through livelihood opportunities and enhanced competence, but it will also create societal impacts, resonating well with how we aspire our SETI initiatives in DOST create societal impacts to the communities we serve,” Mayan Jane J. Inni, director of the Provincial Science Technology Office -Davao de Oro highlighted the significance of the project.
With the official launch of the first National Assessment on Fine Jewelry NC II on March 26, 2025, the Monkayo Jewelry Training Center has positioned Monkayo as a prominent hub for jewelry craftsmanship and certification.
According to Inni, the establishment of the Monkayo Jewelry Training Center highlights DOST’s pivotal role in fostering innovation and supporting local industries through Science, Technology, and Innovation (SETI) initiatives. This initiative not only enhances the skills of local artisans but also contributes to the economic development of the region.
Gold area
Monkayo is located in the gold-resource rich part of Davao Region, the municipality covers the mineral reservation of Mt. Diwata or known as Mt. Diwalwal which is rich in gold and copper deposits.
“Since the 1980s Mt. Diwata is just outside towering over us watching this municipality but we were not able to come up with this idea and finally it is here the first jewelry training center in the Philippines,” says Monkayo Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council) member Crison Martesio.
With its gold mining industry, jewelry making has been pushed as an industry not just for the town but also for the province of Davao de Oro which gets its name from its gold resource. (PIA/IRL photos from TESDA-XI)
