The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has expressed full support for a new partnership between the Department of Education (DepEd) and Sanyo Denki Philippines, Inc. aimed at training senior high school (SHS) graduates for industry employment.
The initiative, dubbed “Building Bridges Together from Enrollment to Employment,” was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed on May 4, 2026, at the company’s facility in Subic. The signing was led by SDP President Kenji Yanagisawa and DepEd Regional Office 3 Assistant Regional Director Jessie L. Amin, and witnessed by SBMA and education officials from Central Luzon.
Representing SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño, Chief of Staff Von Rodriguez said the partnership supports DepEd’s push to align education outcomes with industry standards through private sector collaboration.
Under the program, DepEd plans to improve the employability of SHS graduates by facilitating workforce training, starting with 120 students from the Schools Division Offices of Bataan, Zambales, and Olongapo City. The initiative is expected to expand to include Tarlac, Angeles City, and Mabalacat City.
Yanagisawa emphasized that people remain the foundation of sustainable growth, underscoring the importance of aligning education with labor market needs. He encouraged students to take advantage of the program and expressed appreciation to DepEd and its partners.
For his part, Amin welcomed the collaboration, describing it as a step toward securing better opportunities for learners. He noted that employers today prioritize not only technical and technological competencies but also strong soft skills among job applicants.
The initiative seeks to strengthen SHS “exit points” by equipping graduates with job-ready skills and competencies required by modern industries.
Central Luzon continues to post strong employment figures and is shifting toward higher-value industries and service-oriented jobs. Despite a high basic literacy rate of 92.8 percent as of 2024, many SHS graduates still face challenges entering the workforce due to a mismatch between skills and industry demands—an issue the program aims to address.
