CLARK FREEPORT—The Metro Clark Advisory Council (MCAC), chaired by Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera, convened on Tuesday, August 19, at the Clark Visitors Center to discuss workforce development initiatives designed to align with the labor requirements of locators within the Freeport and adjoining areas.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Regional Director Baron Jose Lagran of Regional Office III presented the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) framework, a national program institutionalized under Republic Act No. 12063.
The EBET strategy seeks to strengthen industry-driven skills development by integrating training into actual workplace environments and co-designing curricula in partnership with enterprises. Lagran identified Clark Freeport as a prime hub for EBET implementation, citing its concentration of priority industries and the growing demand for specialized labor.
In attendance at the meeting were Mabalacat City Mayor Gerald Guttrie Aquino; Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II; Capas Mayor Roseller Rodriguez; Porac Vice Mayor Jen Capil; CDC Director Atty. Nicolette Henson; Atty. Ananias Canlas, Jr. representing the Provincial Government of Pampanga; along with MCAC coordinators from Pampanga’s 1st District and Tarlac, and representatives of various Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs).
MCAC functions as a consultative body composed of the chief executives of Angeles City, Mabalacat City, Porac, Bamban, and Capas—jurisdictions identified under Republic Acts No. 7227 and 9400—as part of its mandate to coordinate local development efforts in Metro Clark.