The Phil. Business for Education (PBEd) gives a Public Presentation of the Findings of its 3-year Project on Higher Education (HEPP) on 4 Dec. 2015 at the Tower Club in Makati. As it wraps up this USAID-funded Project, main contributors like PAGASA were invited to view the summary of findings as presented in one of the slides pictured.  It showed that industry and the academe must partner and communicate constantly to produce productive graduates relevant to the needs of industry on the national as well as local levels. One of the major accomplishments of this project was the ability to pull together the different associations representing the private schools, the state colleges/universities and its local counterpart. It was also able to show the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) the mismatch between courses of graduates and the qualifications needed by trade/industry and the lack of honing of life skills/communication skills in our school curriculum needed to churn out graduates worthy of training in companies willing to employ them.

On Dec. 4, 2015, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) organized a Business Matching Session at the Manila Hotel bringing in a Trade Mission featuring food and non-food products. PAGASA’s STC attended and tried a few of the food delicacies offered to the local market.