Vice President Sara Duterte Invites PCCI to Participate in Senior High School Curriculum Review

Manila – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte extended an invitation to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) to be involved in the current review of the country’s Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum.

According to a news release by the Philippines News Agency, the invitation was formally made during her keynote speech at the 49th Philippine Business Conference and Expo held at the Manila Hotel. She emphasized that the PCCI’s participation could help improve the employability of SHS graduates in the Philippines.

Duterte stated, “I would like to take this opportunity to invite the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and all its members to participate in the review and provide valuable insights on sales matching in order to boost employability of our graduates.” She further remarked on the necessity of input from experts in adapting teaching methodologies for today’s digitally native learners.

In a National Tracer Study conducted for the school year 2017-2018, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported that only about 10 percent of SHS graduate respondents were employed. Of these, 7 percent completed the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track, and 3 percent completed the academic track. The study also revealed that 83 percent of the graduates went on to pursue higher education, and only 1 percent engaged in entrepreneurship.

Duterte pointed out that the initiative to enhance basic education in the country requires a collaborative approach. “It involves unwavering collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders, including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Together, we will produce future leaders and innovators capable of meeting the demands of the fast-changing job market,” she said.

The invitation to the PCCI comes after Duterte’s appeal last year to the business sector to consider hiring K-12 graduates and dismissing the “diploma mentality.” The Department of Education has also created the SHS National Task Force (NTF), which is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the SHS curriculum. This task force is expected to collaborate on studies aimed at improving the SHS program and is scheduled to submit its accomplishments and outputs next year.