CHED Silver Anniversary Celebration

CONGRATULATIONS to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on its 25^thFounding Anniversary!

The theme of the celebration is “Celebrating 25 Years towards Access, Equity, and Global Excellence in Higher Education.”

CHED celebrates its Silver Anniversary from April 23, 2019 to May 17, 2019. This 25-day celebration features events, activities and other initiatives that revolve around the theme. The CHED Regional Office VI (CHEDRO VI) started its celebration with an opening of Exhibit Contest followed by the Press Conference attended by television, radio, and print media reporters.

On April 25 the CHEDRO VI conducted a motorcade participated by state colleges and universities (SUCs) and private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Western Visayas. Following the motorcade was the giving of awards to partner higher education institutions (HEIs) with high performance in various licensure examinations; with accredited programs; with environmental impact; SUCs with most number Certificates of Program Compliance (COPCs); PHEIs with autonomous status; HEIs with Center of Excellence/Center of Development (COE/COD) programs; among others. Also during the awarding ceremonies, awards were given to the three winners of the 1^st CHEDRO VI Exhibit Contest and to the CHED personnel who spent 20 to 25 years of committed and loyal services to the Commission.

In relation to the celebration, the CHEDRO VI also conducted a Regional Quality Assessment Team (RQAT) orientation attended by more or less 100 existing and newly appointed RQAT members. The celebration will culminate with a Gala Night to be conducted by CHED Central Office in Manila on May 17, 2019.

The Commission was created on May 18, 1994 by virtue of Republic Act 7722 (RA 7722), otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994.” It has a mission to protect,foster and promote the right of all citizens to affordable qualityeducation at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to ensurethat education shall be accessible to all.

The Commission has the powers and functions to formulate and recommend development plans, policies, priorities, and programs on higher education and research. It sets minimum standards for programs and HEIs recommended by panels of experts. It monitors and evaluates the performance of programs and HEIs for appropriate incentives. It identifies, supports and develops potential COE or COD in program areas needed for the development of world-class scholarship, nation building and national development.

It also recommends to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the budgets of public HEIs, particularly the SUCs, as well as general guidelines for the use of their income. It rationalizes programs and HEIs and set standards, policies and guidelines for the creation of new colleges as well as the conversion or elevation of colleges to universities, subject to budgetary limitations.

CHED also develops criteria for allocating additional resources such as research and program development grants, scholarships, and other similar programs. It also promotes the purposes of higher education; reviews the charters of HEIs and state universities and colleges including the chairmanship and membership of their governing bodies.

In the last 25 years, the Commission broadened the access of deserving and qualified Filipino students to higher education opportunities by extending financial assistance to poor but deserving college students through scholarships, grants and loan programs.

Recently, the Commission facilitated the implementation in higher education of RA 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017. This Act implements free tuition and other fees to students enrolled in SUCs and CHED recognized local colleges and universities (LUCs).

This Act also subsidized the tuition and schooling of qualified students enrolled in PHEIs and grant loan programs to qualified students enrolled in college and in graduate school.