Manila, October 7 (AseanAll) — Fulfilling the goal of showcasing Filipino excellence, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lauded the exceptional achievements of young Filipino talents who represented the country in the recently concluded 14th WorldSkills ASEAN 2025, hosted by the Philippines.
During a courtesy visit held at the President’s Hall in Malacañan Palace on October 7, 2025, Marcos congratulated the winners, praising their dedication, skill, and exceptional performance.
“We did very well, and we’re all very proud of you because there is more to this than just a contest or just a competition between different countries in ASEAN. It also shows the quality of the training that we have given our workers,” President Marcos said in his speech.
The Philippine delegation delivered a strong performance at the competition, held from August 26 to 28 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, winning 10 gold medals, seven silver medals, eight bronze medals, and five Medallions for Excellence.
The Philippines’ hosting of the ASEAN WorldSkills marks a significant milestone, as the country last hosted the event in 1996.
Marcos recognized the efforts of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez in preparing the delegation and successfully hosting the prestigious event.
“Considering that we are working so hard to retrain, reskill, upskill all our workers, this is going to be very, very important. But I said if we are going to host it, we should do well. Huwag naman tayo mapahiya … I think that you have achieved our purpose,” the President said.
Marcos stressed that the delegates’ success serves as an inspiration to Filipino youth and a testament to the quality of technical and vocational education in the country.
“Ito, dito sa inyong ginawa at sa naging successful na resulta, ay pinakita natin, hindi ito haka-haka na sinasabi na magaling ang Pilipino na manggagawa. Ay masasabi natin, ito may pruweba na tayo,” President Marcos said.
“You have made our reputation better, you have once again proved to the world the value of the Filipino worker,” the President added.
In recognition of their remarkable achievements, President Marcos granted the winners cash incentives through the Office of the President: PhP100,000 for each gold medalist, PhP80,000 for silver medalists, PhP60,000 for bronze medalists, and PhP50,000 for recipients of the Medallion for Excellence.
“It is a small price to pay, ika nga, for all the work that you do and all the excellence that you have shown and what you have done for the Filipinos and our reputation outside the Philippines, our reputation around the world,” the President said.
Held under the theme, “ASEAN: Skilled for the Future,” the 14th WorldSkills ASEAN brought together over 1,000 delegates from 10 ASEAN member states, with Timor-Leste participating for the first time.
Nearly 300 young professionals competed across 32 official skill areas, ranging from traditional trades in construction and manufacturing to high-tech fields such as CoBot Systems Integration, Industry 4.0, Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Autonomous Mobile Robotics, and 3D Digital Game Art.
The successful staging of the event was made possible through the full support of the Marcos administration, as outlined in Administrative Order No. 34, s. 2025, which mobilized key government agencies in support of the hosting.
