DAET, Camarines Norte (PIA) — Three regional gold medalists have expressed their hope for a better future in their chosen skills following the three-day Bicol Regional Skills Competition that concluded on Dec. 7 in this capital town of Camarines Norte.
Ma. Frances O. Rieza, a gold medalist in cookery, said the Technology Education and Skills Development competition was useful to her plan of putting up a restaurant.
“Malaking tulong ang programa ng TESDA (The TESDA program is a great help) in building my confidence to become a successful entrepreneur,” Rieza, of St. Francis Caracciolo Culinary Academy Inc., said.
“I want the food and beverages industry, that is why I joined the TESDA’s competition,” said James Oxen Q. Yap, the gold medalist in restaurant services.
Yap, also of St. Francis Caracciolo Culinary Academy Inc., said the competition enabled him to gain exposure in the industry.
“I want to be part of the information technology (IT) industry, I want to succeed in freelance web development,” Justine Carl P. Mantua said.
Mantua, a proud gold medalist in web technology from Mabini Colleges, said winning in the competition was a step closer to his dream.
The competition was held simultaneously in three venues, with Camarines Norte as the host of face-to-face competitions held at Hope Science and Technology College Corp., and virtual venues in CCDI Sorsogon and Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC), Camarines Sur.
Rieza, Yap and Mantua were among the gold medalists in Camarines Norte.
Gov. Ricarte Dong Padilla encourages competitors to become entrepreneurs in his message during the opening of the Bicol Regional Skills Competition held in Camarines Norte
During the opening of the competition, Governor Ricarte Padilla urged competitors to dream of becoming entrepreneurs and not just employees.
“You should be a boss. Many people did not graduate but are successful businessmen,” he said.
Padilla emphasized that success is not solely based on one’s school or degree but on character, values, and work attitude.
TESDA Regional Director Archie A. Grande said that Bicol region showcased 13 skills areas in the Philippine National Skills Competition in March 2023, bringing home bronze awards in cooking, information technology network system administration, and gold medals in electrical installation, information network cabling, and IT software solution for business.
The region also represented the country in the World Skills Competition recently conducted in Singapore and Abu Dhabi this year.
Grande added that the TESDA was gearing up for the 2025 ASEAN Skills Competition to be held in the country, and the regional competition served as a stepping stone towards the international stage. (PIA 5/Camarines Norte)
