22-year-old student from Mt. Province wins Medallion for Excellence at Workskills Asia Taipei 2025

Baguio City, Philippines – A 22-year-old culinary student from Besao, Mt. Province, and Mankayan, Benguet triumphed on the world stage after winning a Medallion for Excellence at WorldSkills Asia Taipei held from November 27 to 29, 2025.

Held annually in November, the WorldSkills Asia Competition is a premier regional platform that gathers more than 300 competitors from 30 countries, promoting skills excellence and collaboration across Asia. The event highlights the region’s commitment to advancing skills development.

In an interview with GURU Press, Agee Docayso, a student from the TESDA Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE), shared that adapting to the competition environment was one of his biggest challenges.

"One of the challenges I encountered during the competition was adapting to things I wasn’t fully familiar with — which is a must in this skill area,” said Docayso.

The Philippine delegation also delivered strong performances in several other skill areas. Hannah Krystelle Caintic and James Cavin Sayago secured silver medals in Graphic Design Technology and Electrical Installations, respectively.

Additionally, the team of Abraham Badar and Roneil Arriesgado contributed to the country’s medal tally with a bronze win in Mechatronics.

Meanwhile, Docayso expressed gratitude to TESDA, his coaches, and everyone who supported him throughout his journey.

“Of course, first is TESDA and the school (CSITE) itself for providing the ingredients and the things I needed. To my expert, Mary Kristine Iris Pasion, and my coach, Joshua Lizardo, thank you. And to all the people who have been part of my journey, I am truly grateful,” he said.

These achievements highlight the world-class capabilities of Filipino competitors and the continued growth of the country’s technical and vocational education and training sector.