DAVAO CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) on Wednesday called for a concerted effort to transform Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into a strategic tool for inclusive development.

In a statement, MinDA Director Joan Barrera underscored the urgent need to bridge the skills-opportunity gap, which she said carries a profound human cost—fueling cycles of poverty and contributing to persistently high rates of stunting and malnutrition.

Barrera highlighted the paradox of Mindanao—a region that contributes 60 percent of the country’s agricultural exports and 17 percent of its Gross Domestic Product, yet remains home to six of the ten provinces with the lowest Human Development Index.

“The disconnect lies in the gap between the skills we teach and the opportunities the economy provides,” she said, citing critical shortages in high-growth sectors and chronic underemployment, which has reached up to 21 percent in some areas.

She urged industry stakeholders to “invest in their future workforce” by recognizing TVET as a reliable talent pipeline, and called on development partners to align their support with an integrated framework for human capital development.

“This call resonates with the Marcos administration’s broader agenda under the Bagong Pilipinas framework, which prioritizes human capital development as a cornerstone of national progress,” Barrera said. 

She added that empowerment must be matched by opportunity, an ethos central to the President’s commitment to building a better, more resilient Mindanao.

MINDA PHOTO