The House of Representatives unanimously approved on third and final reading the proposed “Amended Higher Education Act” that will further strengthen the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
A total of 199 lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill No. 10282, which seeks to expand the mandate of the CHED to cover the supervision and regulation of programs offered by all types of higher education institutions (HEIs).
No one voted against it or abstained from voting.
The bill would allow the CHED to exercise its oversight and supervisory powers over local colleges and universities offering degree programs.
The bill would allow the CHED to exercise its oversight and supervisory powers over local colleges and universities offering degree programs, but not over those under the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and foreign HEIs operating under Philippine laws.
Higher and Technical Education committee chair Mark Go cited that the CHED would then be headed by a Chairperson and four Commissioners, who would be holders of doctorate degrees conferred by a reputable HEI recognized by the CHED.
It requires the CHED to formulate a roadmap for higher education.
It requires the CHED to formulate a roadmap for higher education that shall set the general directions for educational policies and standards and ensure that higher education is accessible, equitable, and producing locally responsive, innovative, and globally competitive graduates and lifelong learners.
It grants quasi-judicial powers to the CHED in the pursuit of its mandate, empowers it to develop and enforce a system of program compliance and to impose necessary sanctions for cause provided by law.
