(iii) increasing employability by linking students to employers for relevant industry immersions. 49. After its official launching via a virtual event last December 2, 2021, a pilot test was conducted in the National Capital Region with an initial target of 120 SHS students between November 2021 to March 2022. The program will later expand to different regions of the country.122 50. MaSHSigabong Tagumpay sa Trabaho at Negosyo Pinanday: The SHS Graduates Success Stories is a series of 16 success stories of SHS graduates through individual videos and narratives that were streamed on the DepEd’s Office website – DepEd Philippines YouTube Channel, DepEd Philippines Facebook Page and other official social media platforms from March 17, 2022, to April 8, 2022.123 The success stories were divided into four categories: SHS TVL graduates who are gainfully employed, SHS TVL graduates who are entrepreneurs, SHS Academic, Arts and Design, or Sports graduates who are gainfully employed, and SHS Academic, Arts and Design, or Sports graduates who are entrepreneurs.124 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) 51. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is the government agency tasked with managing and supervising technical education and skills development in the Philippines.125 It sets direction, promulgates relevant standards, and implements programs geared toward quality-assured and inclusive technical education, skills development, and certification systems.126 52. TESDA developed the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan 2018-2022 to calibrate its national strategy for technical-vocational education and training (TVET) to address the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the needs of priority groups, including the youth. This plan guides TESDA in developing the strategies for the country’s TVET aimed at global competitiveness, workforce readiness, and social equity. 53. TVET Towards the New Normal - TESDA’s Operational Plan in response to the COVID-19 crisis is a recovery plan to transition the agency’s systems, processes, and programs into the new normal and allow the agency to cater to the skills needs of the people, particularly digital skills which have seen an increase in demand during the pandemic. This plan specifies priority sectors, namely, agriculture, health, ICT, and construction. It is divided into three phases: phase I – survival (March-June 2020) aims at reducing possible transmission of the disease and ensuring 122 Microsoft Philippines Communications Team, Department of Education Drives Employability and Work Opportunities for Senior High School Graduates through Oplan TAWID Program, MICROSOFT NEWS CENTER PHILIPPINES, Jan. 12, 2022, available at https://news.microsoft.com/en-ph/2022/01/12/department-of-education-drives-employability-and-workopportunities-for-senior-high-school-graduates-through-oplan-tawid-program/ (last accessed May 26, 2022). 123 Department of Education, Launching of the MaSHSigabong Tagumpay sa Trabaho at Negosyo Pinanday: The Senior high School Graduate Success Stories, Regional Memorandum No. 0194, s. 2022 (March 15, 2022). 124 Id. 125 TESDA, Vision, Mission, Value and Quality Statement, available at https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/11 (last accessed June 21, 2022). 126 Id. 30