The Philippine Association of Digital Commerce and Decentralized Industry (PADCDI) has called for closer partnership with the government so as to boost knowledge and skills of local workers in order to make them familiar with global app developers. The move is aimed at making the country achieve its dreams of becoming a leading global blockchain hub.
During an interview, Mary Rose Magsaysay, the chairman of PADCDI said that she had talked to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to start offering training courses on the development of blockchain in one of its accredited schools in the country. TESDA is a government agency tasked with offering alternative training to Filipinos seeking quality skills for employment.
Magsaysay said she had a talk with Secretary Guiling A. Mamondiong, the director general of TESDA in which she suggested to him that they start offering blockchain software development training in TESDA’s curriculum. She added that Mamondiong was very receptive to the proposal.
Magsaysay noted that TESDA and PADCI intend to use several accredited schools to start offering blockchain-related courses.
To help in implementing the program very first, PADCD has started developing the cause by consolidating the requirements for admission. PADCD is also writing papers as well as informational materials that will be presented to TESDA.
Magsaysay noted that the main challenge is that blockchain is still a very new sector and only a few people are knowledgeable in the sector. She added that the PADCDI, government and the general public do not fully understand the industry. She added that the new initiative is aimed at making all stakeholders have the full knowledge about the sector. This will help in developing and implementing government programs and regulations.
During a separate interview, Todd Kandariz, a blockchain developer and consultant at StepWyze indicated that the world has only 5,000 qualified blockchain developers which shows the need to come up with more skills.
PADCDI was launched last week in Manila and has around 70 individual and groups who are actively engaged in blockchain-related businesses. Apart from skill development, in the field of blockchain, PADCDI is also working with local regulators like the central bank and Securities and Exchange Commission to come up with the appropriate rules to advance the development of blockchain.
