Education reform, Tatak Pinoy singled out for potential to arrest PHL slide within region

THE Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) said education reform and the Tatak Pinoy strategy hold the potential to help the Philippines keep up with its peers in ASEAN.

“The Philippines risks slipping further behind its Asian neighbors in the region’s industrial boom unless education reform and industrial policy advance together,” the FPI said on Tuesday.

It said reforms pushed by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo M. Angara, and the Tatak Pinoy strategy will help rebuild national competitiveness.

“Education and industry are mutually reinforcing engines of growth,” FPI Chair Elizabeth H. Lee said.

“Tatak Pinoy provides the blueprint for upgrading Philippine industries. Angara’s reforms ensure we have the skilled workforce to power that transformation. Without both, we cannot close the widening gap with Asia,” she added.

Tatak Pinoy legislation seeks to raise the competitiveness of Philippine goods, raise their value, and open up access to new markets.

Citing reports from the ASEAN Secretariat and UN Trade and Development, FPI said that industrialization has been driving rapid gains across the region.

“ASEAN attracted a record $230 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2023 … cementing its position as the largest developing region magnet thanks to robust manufacturing hubs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ services sector grew 6.3% in the first quarter, particularly in retail and repair, which the group said hold weaker potential in terms of wages and innovation.

“Services provide stability, but industry delivers prosperity. That’s the leap our neighbors have made, and it’s the leap we have to make,” Ms. Lee said.

Education reform such as upgrading teacher training, modernizing curricula, and strengthening technical vocation pathways will help supply demand for skilled workers, she added.

“These can help temper the country’s shortage of industry-ready talent with updated skills and increased innovation capacity,” FPI said.

The FPI said it views the Tatak Pinoy Act as providing the blueprint for modernizing manufacturing and boosting innovation.

“Tatak Pinoy tells us what we need to become. Education reforms ensure we have the skilled people who can actually build it,” Ms. Lee said giving the Philippines “a chance to catch up with Asia’s industrial boom.” — Justine Irish D. Tabile