MANILA - The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is still one of the most trusted government agencies in the country, an independent and non-commissioned survey said. According to PUBLiCUS Asia's 2021 PAHAYAG Fourth-Quarter Survey, TESDA ranked second among the most trusted government agencies with a trust rating of 46.1 percent, behind the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with 52.6 percent. The TESDA was followed by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) with a 45.7 percent trust rating. It also ranked second in approval ratings with 67.7 percent. The AFP and PAF ranked first and third, with approval ratings of 69.7 percent and 64.5 percent, respectively. The survey was conducted nationwide covering 1,500 respondents from December 6 to 10. For 2021, TESDA has been consistent in the top of the surveys conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia. During the first-quarter survey, it ranked first among government agencies in approval ratings with 62.1 percent and ranked second in trust ratings with 42.8 percent. For the second and third quarter surveys, TESDA placed second in both approval and trust ratings. For this year, it has been continuously providing skills training programs and interventions to Filipinos, especially overseas workers and members of the marginalized sector. As of December 2021, a total of 26,989 overseas Filipino workers and their dependents have enrolled in various TESDA courses, 25,579 of whom have finished their respective training courses. TESDA also continues to expand its online training program as more courses are now available on the platform. As of November 2021, there are 115 courses in the TESDA Online Program (TOP). The platform drew 855,217 newly registered users this year, bringing the accumulated number of users since 2012 to 3,530,346. TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapena reiterated the agency's commitment to providing quality and relevant skills training to Filipinos. He also vowed to improve TESDA's services to reach more Filipinos. "We have been consistent in the top of the surveys conducted by PUBLiCUS. I thank Filipinos for their continued support to TESDA as we continue to remain committed in delivering the services you needed amid the pandemic," Lapena said. (PR) }