‘Kalinga faces 16,729-worker skills gap or 99% training shortage’ - Prov’l Director Atty. Pascual

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — More than 16,000 skilled workers are still needed in Kalinga to meet the manpower demand of different industries, according to the latest data presented by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The findings were presented by Atty. Clifford E. Pascual of TESDA during the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo meeting on July 6, 2026. The presentation highlighted the province's current skills supply gap and explained why the data is important in planning future training programs.

Pascual said the figures came from TESDA's Area-Based Demand-Driven (ABDD) Skills Mapping. The study compares the number of workers industries need with the actual training capacity available in the province.

Based on the report, Kalinga has a provincial skills supply gap of 16,729. The presentation also identified the need for 88 additional registered training programs, 88 qualified trainers, and 136 certified assessors, while noting that the province has no assessment center gap.

The TESDA prov’l director said the data supports evidence-based planning under the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act, helping government agencies and training institutions align their programs with the actual needs of industries.

The presentation of Pascual emphasized that creating jobs alone is not enough. Workers must also have the skills employers need. 

Addressing the identified gaps through stronger partnerships among TESDA, local governments, schools, and industries, as suggested by Pascual, could help more Kalinga residents qualify for better employment while supporting the province's economic growth.