The University of the Philippines Manila (UP Manila) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) unveiled two new competency standards on Monday, aimed at enhancing the nation”s medical education framework.
The newly introduced qualifications are Cadaver Preservation Services Level III and Academic Simulation Services Level III. These initiatives are designed to professionalize and elevate the skills of technical personnel who support future healthcare professionals in anatomy laboratories.
“Before there is a doctor in the operating room, there is a technician in the anatomy lab. During every simulation, there is someone setting up the tools, fixing the systems, keeping things running when no one”s watching,” stated TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez during the launch event. “After the students graduate, those same individuals remain, building the next generation”s classroom of care. Today, TESDA and UP Manila join forces to declare, “They are no longer invisible. Their work, their skills, their service – are now seen and recognized by us,” he added.
This occasion marks the first instance in which the government has formally developed competency standards for Anatomy Laboratory Technician and General Laboratory Technician education. The Cadaver Preservation Services Level III program will educate learners on handling, preserving, and managing cadavers for academic and research purposes, including anatomical embalming and ethical disposal. Graduates may find roles as Cadaver Care Technicians, Anatomy Laboratory Technicians, or Anatomic Embalmers.
Conversely, the Academic Simulation Services Level III program emphasizes the management and operation of simulation-based learning facilities within health sciences education. Those completing this program may pursue careers as Simulation Technicians or Simulation Operations Specialists.
“With the increasing number of medical schools due to the Doctor Para sa Bayan Act, we must ensure that we have trained technicians, simulation specialists, and laboratory personnel to uphold quality education,” noted Benitez, referring to Republic Act 11509, which supports deserving medical students in their health and medicine studies.
According to TESDA”s 2025 TVET (Technical-Vocational Education and Training) Skills Insights Report, each new medical school necessitates three to four laboratory technicians. Consequently, TESDA and UP Manila identified six priority areas for TVET development: Anatomy Laboratory Technician, General Laboratory Technician, Cadaver Preservation, Cadaver Soft Embalming, Academic Simulation Assistant, and Simulation Technician.
The introduction of these competency standards is part of a memorandum of understanding signed by TESDA and UP Manila in September of the previous year, which focuses on standards development, skills training, and enterprise-based learning to bolster medical education.
Michael Tee, Chancellor of UP Manila, expressed that these new standards fulfill a long-standing request to professionalize support personnel in medical and health sciences education. “As the leading institution for simulation-based and technology-driven health sciences education, UP Manila will ensure that support staff in health sciences courses receive appropriate training and recognition within the academic community,” Tee said.
