Baguio: Six years after winning a gold medal in the World Skills competition, Joshua Lizardo is paying it forward as a cooking ‘expert’ at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (TESDA-CSITE). ‘I feel blessed to share the knowledge I gained from TESDA and my mentors,’ Lizardo said in Filipino during an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Monday.

According to Philippines News Agency, a TESDA scholar himself, Lizardo joined CSITE in 2018 as a job order employee and later earned a permanent employment status. Now, he trains students who are following the same path he once took-learning through government support, competing, and returning to mentor the next generation.

As a teacher, he said he is happy that he can share his skills with students who, like him, aim high to learn from his mentors. He feels happier that he sees students following the track he once took – joining competitions to obtain more experience.

Lizardo is currently assistant coach for two of the country’s cooking representatives-Agee Docayso (Cordillera) and Wyeth Jay Ocampo (Region III)-in the ASEAN World Skills competition set for Aug. 25-28 in Metro Manila. Winners will advance to the international stage. The Philippine delegation also includes two bakery competitors, Gibran Sudango and Bea Hermosora.

Since May, the competitors have been undergoing intensive training at TESDA-CSITE, which includes skills enhancement, personality development, and physical conditioning. Chef Mary Kristine Iris Pasion, the team’s main cooking expert, expressed confidence in the group, citing the Philippines’ consistent gold-medal finishes in both ASEAN and international competitions.

For Lizardo, winning is not just about medals. ‘I always tell them to trust their knowledge, have the guts, and see challenges as part of life-long learning,’ he said. The World Skills Competition features 32 trade areas, with cooking and bakery among the events where the Philippines aims to shine.