CHED's mandate falls short after 30 years; EDCOM 2 urges major reforms in Philippine higher education

Three decades after its creation, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is still falling short of its mandate to guide the nation's higher education system, according to a recent report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), which recommends a sweeping evaluation of the agency's performance and purpose.

- BY MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

EDCOM 2, the congressional body tasked with assessing the Philippine education system, raised critical concerns about CHED's performance, noting that the agency has only "partially realized" its mandate even after 30 years.

In a recent hearing, EDCOM 2 emphasized the urgent need to review and strengthen CHED's role, especially amid persistent gaps in quality, relevance, and oversight in the country's higher education sector.

"Despite CHED's clear mandate since 1994, many of its goals remain unfulfilled: excellence remains low, with little support provided to higher education institutions, especially private HEIs and local universities and colleges (LUCs)," EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said.

EDCOM is holding hearings throughout July 2025, consistent with its mandate under Republic Act 11899 to conduct a National Assessment and Evaluation of Philippine Education. This includes a review of how the mandates of the three education agencies—DepEd, CHED, and TESDA—have been observed.

Gaps in quality, relevance

Created under Republic Act 7722, CHED was envisioned to align tertiary education with national development goals. However, EDCOM 2 highlighted persistent issues, including a mismatch between academic programs and labor market needs, poor research output, and low accreditation rates.

According to EDCOM's assessment, CHED has not designated new Centers of Excellence since 2016 and has provided minimal support for institutions pursuing voluntary accreditation since 2020—despite this being a legal mandate.