Marcos to WorldSkills participants: Serve your nation, help unite ASEAN

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday called on the participants of the WorldSkills Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) competition to serve their respective countries and to help strengthen unity among member states through their abilities.

“Medals may shine today, but it is your skills that will shape your future. Serve your country and help build a more united ASEAN community,” Marcos said in his speech during the opening ceremony of Worldskills ASEAN in Pasay City.

The country will host the 14th Worldskills ASEAN competition from Aug 26 to 28, 2025 at Pasay City’s World Trade Center and Philippine Trade Training Center.

Marcos described skills as the “new global currency,” saying that it is the “foundation of innovation” and the “engine of industry.”

“Skills are more valuable than oil, more enduring than gold, more transformative than any technology,” the President said.

“In a heavily interconnected and changing world, true success depends on the skills, the knowledge, and the creativity of our people,” he added.

A total of 259 participants from nine ASEAN member states will compete in 32 skill areas in six different sectors like technology and hospitality.

These countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand and the Philippines. Timor-Leste will be an observer state.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has withdrawn from this year’s competition due to funding limitations brought about by institutional reorganization, according to WorldSkills ASEAN’s website.

The Philippines first hosted the WorldSkills ASEAN in 1996. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News