Employers told: Be wary of fake Tesda papers

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to go after a syndicate behind the proliferation of bogus certificates that guarantees employers that an applicant has passed the agency’s assessment.

Tesda chief Guiling Mamondiong on Thursday expressed concern that the production of fake National Certificate (NC) and Certificate of Competency (COC) would besmirch the image and credibility of the agency in producing highly skilled and competent workers.

Mamondiong said reports reaching his office showed that a syndicate was behind the production of fake certificates, which were being sold to individuals who eventually use them to apply for jobs here and abroad.

Printed on security paper

The Tesda chief said he was also surprised that the fake certificates were printed on the security paper of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The NC is issued to graduates who passed the Tesda assessment after completion of their skills training while the COC is given to individuals who have satisfactorily demonstrated competence on a particular skill or competency. The NC and COC are valid for five years.

Aside from tapping the help of the NBI, Mamondiong has also instructed all Tesda provincial and regional offices to conduct a similar investigation on the matter. The agency would also initiate measures that will boost the security of these documents, he said.