By Andrei Bautista
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) warned the public of the corresponding penalties for the sale, use, and acquisition of fake National Certificates.
According to TESDA Deputy Director General Aniceto Bertiz III on Friday, June 30, fake certificates cannot be used to obtain employment as legitimate certificates have unique identification features and a QR code that employers can detect.
“Ito ay falsification by private individual na covered ng Article 172 ng Revised Penal Code, Republic Act 1095, so ibig sabihin may kaukulang penalty at kulong ito,” he said.
“Ganoon na rin ang unauthorized use ng TESDA logo na under naman ng Article 177, so ito po puwede po kayo makulong,” he added, while noting that the use of fake certificates to apply for a skills-based job may bring more harm.
Bertiz said a National Certificate is only given to TESDA graduates to be used as formal documentation for job applications upon completion of a course.
He said getting a national certificate is free for those who completed the skills training offered by TESDA in its more than 300 courses nationwide.
“Hindi niyo kailangan bumili ng pekeng national certificate dahil libre po itong ibinibigay ng TESDA, mayroon pa po kayong matatanggap na allowances mula sa amin,” he said.
The official urged the public to report information on bogus certificates to its hotlines 8887-7777 or through its official Facebook pages and email.
Meanwhile, Bertiz thanked the public after the TESDA received the highest approval and trust rating in the Pahayag 2023 Second Quarter Survey by Publicus Asia. -ag
