BAGUIO CITY| The Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE) was officially launched on September 9, 2022, at the CSITE Main Campus located at Military Cut-Off Baguio City.

Under the CSITE Act or RA 11192, this will be a State Skills Institute in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), under the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) which will incorporate the Baguio City School of Arts and Trades, the TESDA Regional Training Center-Baguio City, the TESDA Provincial Training Centers in Abra, Ifugao, Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province, the Local Government Unit (LGU) Provincial Training Center in Apayao, and such other State-run technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) in the region.

The integration of the TESDA Technology Institutions in the CAR into a one system-one institution was envisioned and conceptualized by former Baguio City School of Arts and Trades (BCSAT) Administrator David B. Bungallon and Former TESDA-CAR Regional Director Francisco B. Jucar, Jr.

Congressman Mark O. Go, the principal author of the bill said that the launching of CSITE is one giant leap for the people of Cordillera and for technical and vocational education and training in this country. Adding, “𝗥𝗔 𝟭𝟭𝟭𝟵𝟮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵-𝘃𝗼𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. It seeks to increase the absorptive capacity and improve the institutional capabilities of our existing tech-voc institutions in the Cordilleras.

This integration would create a synergy leading to significant improvements in how we administer and develop technical-vocational education in our region and ensure that Cordillerans have access to quality and up-to-date technical education and skills training, consistent with the needs of Cordillera and responsive to the demands of today. In addition, the creation of more polytechnic institutions all over the country is among the strategic plans of TESDA for the coming years, and CSITE shall serve as the model for plans currently in the pipeline. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Director General for TESD Operations Aniceto “John” D. Bertiz III said that “It is imperative to strengthen the country’s Technical Vocational Education to immediately effect a major shift towards the development of a world-class Filipino workforce equipped with practical technical skills. With the recent major developments challenging the Philippine higher and technical-vocational education priorities and mandates, namely: (a) the adoption of the Philippine qualifications framework (PQF); (b) the association of southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) economic integration; and (c) the rapidly changing technical skills priorities.”

 Adding, “Through this endeavor, the institute will play a pivotal role in primarily helping the students and out-of-school youths and residents from low-income families, including persons with disabilities, in CAR to become productive, self-reliant and to be developed into a globally competitive middle to high-level skilled labor force to hasten the social and economic development of the entire car, in particular, as well as meet the manpower placement needs of both local and international labor market.”

Executive Director David B. Bungallon of the National Institute for Technical Education and Skills Development (NITESD) said that he feels emotional and fulfilled as he witness the launching of the CSITE’s operation.

“We are happy that with Congressman Go we shared the same vision….An institution that will be responsive to higher-level TVET aligned with industry demands and global standards. Better employment of graduates that impacts economic development for the Cordillera.”

The Institute will soon offer a wide array of courses of the following TESDA registered technical vocational and short-term training programs in agriculture related trainings, industrial technology and hard trades, tourism and hospitality, health and wellness trainings, basic business literacy training, computer literacy and Information Technology (IT) related skills, and other preferred priority skills and trades training courses relevant to the needs of the localities served within the operational radius of the institute and the whole CAR to enhance their capacities for livelihood, gainful employment, and practical entrepreneurship skills.

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