August 26, 2025
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. led the nation in welcoming the delegates of the WorldSkills ASEAN Manila 2025 during its grand opening ceremony yesterday at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
Hosted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), this year’s WorldSkills ASEAN brings together over 1,000 competitors and experts from 10 ASEAN Member States, who will showcase their talents across 32 skill areas.
The competition is now taking place until August 28 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and the Philippine Trade Training Center, with the closing ceremony scheduled for August 30 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
In his speech, President Marcos emphasized the value of skills and knowledge in a globalized society.
“Skills are more valuable than oil, more enduring than gold. More transformative than any technology. In a heavily interconnected and changing world, true success depends on the skills, the knowledge, and the creativity of our people,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said.
The President emphasized that WorldSkills ASEAN serves as a platform for learning, collaboration, and cultural exchange, where young people from the region test their limits not only for personal achievement but also for the honor of their nations.
“This is why we hold events such as this: to invest in our people, nurture their talents, and give them opportunities to grow further,” added President Marcos Jr.
For his part, TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez lauded the present administration’s thrust for education, as well as the skills competition’s significance as a showcase of technical vocational excellence, and as a testament to ASEAN’s shared heritage and collective strength.
“Under the leadership of President Marcos Jr., we are putting a focus on education, and that means we will see tech-voc soar to greater heights,” Secretary Benitez declared.
“Tonight, we gather not just as a collection of nations, but as one ASEAN family. Our diversity is not a challenge to overcome, but a strength we celebrate. It is through our people’s skills, honed, nurtured, and unleashed, that we lift not only ourselves but our nations, and ASEAN. This is ASEAN. A region built by skilled hands,” added Sec. Kiko.
WorldSkills ASEAN, a biennial competition, serves as the platform for ASEAN youth to benchmark their skills against international standards, exchange knowledge, and foster regional cooperation.
As the competition begins, the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to empowering its workforce, elevating skills excellence, and positioning ASEAN as a global hub of talent and innovation.
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