CLARK FREEPORT ZONE (PIA) — Region IV-A (CALABARZON) topped the medal standings at the recently concluded WorldSkills Philippines Clark 2026, bringing home seven gold, four silver, three bronze, and three medallions of excellence.
Davao Region placed second with five gold, three silver, five bronze, and three medallions of excellence; while the National Capital Region ranked third with four gold, three silver, two bronze and six medallions of excellence, based on the official member results comparison.
Host region Central Luzon finished fourth, winning three gold, four silver, three bronze, and two medallions of excellence, among its 21 competitors.
According to the organizers, the results highlighted the strong performance of skilled competitors from across the country, who faced intensive technical challenges in their respective skill areas.
Throughout the competition, participants were tested on technical competence, precision, discipline and their ability to perform under pressure in a national skills environment.
During Friday’s awarding ceremony, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Kiko Benitez congratulated the winners, emphasizing that their achievements were built through preparation, discipline and sustained practice.
“You made it through the nerves, through the countdown clocks, through those long hours when your hands were moving faster than your doubts could catch up with you,” he said.
Benitez described the winners as among the country’s best in skills, but stressed that excellence was not simply a matter of natural talent.
“Not because you were born with some gift the rest of us don’t have,” he said, pointing to the training, classroom instruction and repeated practice that helped competitors develop their skills.
Benitez also praised the competitors for showing “husay, tibay, at tiyaga” throughout the competition.
For competitors who did not make it to the podium, the secretary said their participation should be viewed as part of their development rather than as a failure.
“You did not fail. You competed. There is a difference,” he said, underscoring the value of competition in the pursuit of skills mastery.
The awarding ceremony also served as the send-off for the Philippine delegation to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, where 11 Filipino competitors will represent the country from September 22 to 26.
With the national competition concluded, Central Luzon formally turned over the WorldSkills flag to the Zamboanga Peninsula as the next host region, marking the transition toward the 2027 edition of WorldSkills Philippines. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)