Subic Bay Freeport – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has shown its full support for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) “Building Bridges Together from Enrollment to Employment” initiative that will provide senior high school (SHS) trainees to Sanyo Denki Philippines, Inc. (SDP).

The SBMA witnessed DepEd Regional Office 3 and SDP sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the “Building Bridges Together from Enrollment to Employment” initiative at the company’s building on 4 May 2026.

According to SBMA Chief of Staff Atty. Von Rodriguez, the said initiative is part of DepEd Regional Office 3’s program that focuses on aligning educational outcomes with industry standards through strategic collaborations with the private sector.

“With the said initiative, DepEd plans to enhance the workforce transition and employability of SHS graduates, starting with 120 students from the Schools Division Offices (SDO) of Bataan, Zambales, and Olongapo City,” he said. This will expand to SDOs in Tarlac, Angeles City, and Mabalacat City.

SDP President Kenji Yanagisawa and DepEd Assistant Regional Director Jessie L. Amin signed the MOA, and was witnessed by Rodriguez, SDP Division Manager Cynthia Renion, and other SDO officials from Central Luzon.

In his speech, Yanagisawa said that people are the source of sustainable growth. He stressed the need to align education programs with employment demands, urged students to utilize the initiative, and extended his appreciation to DepEd and the stakeholders.

ARD Amin expressed support for the partnership, stating it indicates a commitment to secure the future of the learners.

“Our greatest gift to humanity is our kindness to our children,” Amin said, adding that companies currently seek three qualifications: technical competence, technological skill, and soft skills, highlighting the latter as the priority.

The “Building Bridges Together from Enrollment to Employment” initiative aims to elevate SHS “exit points” by ensuring learners possess the specific skills and competencies required by modern employers.

Central Luzon is experiencing a robust labor market, characterized by high employment rates and a strategic shift towards higher-value industry and services sector jobs, necessitating a tighter match between worker skills and industrial demands.

In this region, SHS graduates demonstrate high foundational literacy, yet they face significant challenges in direct labor market entry due to a persistent job-skills mismatch. While the region achieved the highest basic literacy rate in the country at 92.8% as of 2024, only a small fraction of SHS graduates successfully transition into the workforce.