• THERESA MAE DULMAN
A total of 2,065 beneficiaries from the Third District of Negros Occidental convened at the Victorias City Coliseum on May 7, for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Metro Third Mass Graduation.
The event established a milestone as the first-ever district-wide graduation ceremony for the region, bringing together batch 2025 and 2026 scholars from the cities of Victorias, Silay, and Talisay, alongside the municipalities of Murcia and E.B. Magalona.
The graduates completed various technical-vocational programs through scholarship slots provided by the Office of Negros Occidental Third District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez, in coordination with the TESDA.
“The skills you will bring with you are not ordinary; they are what will feed your family and build your home. What I can tell you is that skills cannot be diminished and cannot be stolen. They are yours forever. You have the tools, the certificate, and a new sense of confidence, the strongest things you can carry with you now,” Benitez said.
Benitez and TESDA Regional Director Niña Connie Dodd led the ceremony.
Leading the graduation cohorts were 770 Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC I and NC II graduates and Cookery with 281 completers.
Training was conducted through partner institutions including MDM Sagay College Inc., POWER Foundation, Master Global Education & Livelihood Inc., and MBA Forest Technical School Inc.
“As we move forward, remember that your skill and grit are the backbone of the Bagong Pilipinas,” TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez said.*
