The government has taken a major step toward reshaping technical-vocational education in Western Visayas, with the groundbreaking of a new innovation hub designed to future-proof Filipino workers.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Jose Francisco Benitez led the ceremony for the Regional TVET Innovation Center (RTIC) in Iloilo City on Tuesday, February 24.

The facility will rise in front of the TESDA Regional Office 6 and will serve as the region’s flagship center for training innovation.

The RTIC is part of the Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SIPTVET) Project, a nationwide reform initiative backed by the Asian Development Bank.

Under the program, one innovation center will be established in every region across the country.

Benitez emphasized that the RTIC will go beyond being just another training facility.

“This will become a center of innovation within the TVET ecosystem,” he said, underscoring its role in modernizing skills development.

The center aims to improve the employability of TVET graduates by expanding access to high-quality, industry-aligned programs.

It seeks to equip Filipino workers with skills needed to adapt to rapid technological shifts, evolving industry demands, and increasing global competition.

Among the programs to be offered are higher-level National Certificates and diploma courses, including Mechanical Engineering Technology major in Welding and Steel Fabrication.

The RTIC will also integrate advanced Fourth Industrial Revolution competencies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and the Internet of Things.

In addition to classroom instruction, the facility will provide space for applied research, enterprise-based training, and business incubation.

It will pilot digital, hybrid, and immersive learning technologies to ensure more flexible and future-ready training delivery.

The three-storey, 2,020-square-meter RTIC Iloilo is targeted for completion by December this year.

Also present during the ceremony were Deputy Director General for Administration and Innovation DDG Galo Glino, TESDA-6 Officer-in-Charge Esther Babalo, provincial directors, and industry partners.

The event also featured a Signing of Pledge of Support by regional stakeholders, a memorandum of agreement signing with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and Meralco, as well as the signing of a Deed of Usufruct with the Buenavista local government unit for the site of a Provincial Training Center in Guimaras.

With the RTIC underway, TESDA positions Western Visayas at the forefront of innovation-driven technical education, aligning local skills development with global standards and emerging technologies.IMT