The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has served warning against buying National Certificates (NCs) being sold online and through other channels, saying such documents are fake.
The warning came after reports that a man was recently arrested in Cotabato City while selling fake NCs and driver’s licenses.
TESDA director general Suharto Mangudadatu, explained that NCs are only issued by TESDA offices to qualified individuals who have passed the assessment for their respective qualifications. When issued, these NCs are valid for five years.
The TESDA said that among the items in Mangudadatu’s 10-point agenda is compliance and enhanced monitoring saying, the agency will regularly inspect TESDA-accredited training and assessment centers to check their compliance with regulations on program registration as well as the conduct of assessment and certification.
Mangudadatu also advised that certified workers and employers can verify the authenticity of NCs online. He urged the public to reportto TESDA any individuals who may be selling fake NCs through the Agency’s hotline, 8887-7777, or through SMS, 0917-479-4370.
NCs are required by employers both locally and abroad as proof of workers’ skills and their ability to perform work.
“TESDA prioritizes the integrity of its certification system in certifying middle-level workers to ensure their productivity, quality, and global competitiveness,” Mangudadatu said.
Students, workers, or any individual who want to earn a National Certificate for skills they have learned can apply for assessment at private TESDA-accredited assessment centers, and at TESDA Regional and Provincial Offices nationwide. A complete list of assessment centers is also available online (https://www.tesda.gov.ph/AssessmentCenters/)
The requirements for assessment include a duly accomplished application form; 3 passport-size pictures with the name of the applicant written at the back of each picture; and a duly accomplished Self-Assessment Guide.