Philippines Higher Education System
Higher education system of Philippines
Higher education lies at the apex of the education system. The philosophy, mission, vision and goals of higher
education in the Philippines as cited below are embodied in a comprehensive document of the Commission on Higher
Education entitled "Long-Term Higher Education Development Plan, 1996-2005."
Philosophy
In an environment of freedom, excellence and relevance, higher education harnesses, develops and catalyzes the
constructive and productive use of the full potentials and capabilities of Filipino men and women into becoming
creative, decisive, competitive, critically thinking and acting individuals who contribute to the: 1) realization of Filipino
identity and strong sense of national pride; 2) cultivation and inculcation of moral and spiritual foundation; 3)
attainment of political maturity, economic stability and equitable social progress; and 4) preservation and enrichment
of the historical and cultural heritage of the Filipinos, as a people and a nation.
Mission
Higher education shall be geared towards the pursuit of better quality of life for all Filipinos by emphasizing the
acquisition of knowledge and formation of those skills necessary to make the individual a productive member of
society. It shall accelerate the development of high-level professionals who will search for new knowledge, and
provide leadership in the various disciplines required by a dynamic and self-sustaining economy. Higher education
shall likewise be used to harness the productive capacity of the country's human resource base towards international
competitiveness.
Vision 2005
Higher education would have provided and expanded opportunities for the technologically useful knowledge and skills
development of Filipinos, and would have constructively advanced the capabilities of Filipinos in society. It would
have produced in the Filipinos the ability to critically think, act positively and contribute to the full development of the
family, community and the larger society.
Goals
The attainment of empowered and globally competitive Filipinos shall be ensured through: 1) provision of
undergraduate and graduate education which meet international standards of quality and excellence; 2) generation
and diffusion of knowledge in the broad range of disciplines relevant and responsive to the dynamically changing
domestic and international environment; 3) broaden the access of deserving and qualified Filipinos to higher
education opportunities; and 4) optimization of social, institutional, and individual returns and benefits derived from
the utilization of higher education resources.
1. Coordination of the higher education system
Previously, the administration, supervision and regulation of higher education rests on the Department of Education,
Culture and Sports (DECS) through its Bureau of Higher Education. However, in 1994, two laws were passed in
Congress: 1) Republic Act No. 7722 creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); and 2) Republic Act No.
7796 creating the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
As a result of the trifocalization of education in 1994, the DECS now concentrates only in the administration,
supervision and regulation of basic education (elementary and secondary education). TESDA, an agency attached to
the Department of Labor, is the one which oversees the post-secondary technical and vocational education including
skills orientation, training and development of out-of-school youth and unemployed community adults. On the other
hand, the system governance and policy guidance over public and private higher education institutions as well as
degree-granting programs in all post-secondary educational institutions rest on CHED, a department-level agency,
independent from and co-equal with DECS. The CHED coordinates the programs of higher education institutions and
implements the policies and standards.
2. Types of higher education institutions
There are presently 1,282 higher education institutions in the country, broken down into: 98 state universities and
colleges, 105 CHED-supervised institutions, 35 local universities and colleges, 14 other government schools, and
1,030 private institutions.
State universities and colleges (SUCs) are institutions funded by the national government. They have their own
charters and are thus autonomous from CHED. CHED-supervised institutions are non-chartered colleges, directly
under the supervision of CHED and whose annual budget allocation is integrated in the government budget
appropriation for CHED. Local universities and colleges previously called community colleges are those operated,
supported and maintained by local government units. In addition, there are other government schools offering
bachelor's degrees and/or graduate degrees and advanced training such as military and police academies which are
supervised and regulated by the Department of National Defense and Philippine National Police.
Private institutions, on the other hand, are owned and administered by private individuals, groups or corporations.
These are classified either as sectarian or non-sectarian colleges and universities. Sectarian schools (279) are
usually non-stock, non-profit institutions, owned and operated by religious orders. Non-sectarian schools (751) are
owned by private corporations which are not affiliated to any religious organizations, majority are stock, a few are
non-stock, non-profit corporations, and a number are foundations.
3 Institutional governance
The CHED oversees the higher education system. It is an agency attached to the Office of the President of the
Philippines for administrative purposes. CHED is responsible for administering and supervising both public and
private higher education institutions in the Philippines.
Higher education institutions establish and maintain their own internal organization. The framework of their
organization is generally divided into two areas, namely: policy formulation and policy implementation. The
formulation and/or approval of all policies, rules and standards in the school is the main function of the Governing
Board. The implementation of policies and the management of the school operations are vested in the administration
headed by the President.
The SUC's autonomy is assured by their individual charters. They are authorized to open curricula and institutional
programs, and award their own degrees. However, on July 22, 1997, a landmark legislation was made enacting into
law Republic Act 8292 otherwise known as the "Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997." This Act provides
among others for the uniform composition and powers of the governing boards of SUCs with the Chairman of CHED
as the Chair of the governing boards of all SUCs (previously chaired by the DECS Secretary). With this new set-up, in
effect this places all SUCs under the supervision, policy and development mandate of CHED. This enables the CHED
to exert influence or provide proper guidance on the quality and directions of the academic programs as well as on
the internal operations of the SUCs.
The private institutions, on the other hand, experience some degree of freedom only when their programs are Level
III accredited. This means they are already deregulated and can initiate reforms in their curricular offerings without
the need for CHED's approval. Otherwise, private schools have to apply for permit from CHED to open a course, and
they have to apply for recognition of their programs in order to be allowed to graduate their students. Recognition of
programs is granted if the institutions have fully complied the minimum requirements prescribed by CHED. With
regard to awarding of certificate, diploma or degree to students, this is done only if all academic requirements have
satisfactorily been completed by the students. After verification of the information, the CHED issues a "Special Order"
number which is noted in the student's transcript of records.
In the case of CHED-supervised institutions and local universities and colleges, the CHED monitors the
implementation of policies, rules and standards. These institutions have to secure authority from CHED if they want to
open a course. If their program offerings have the necessary authority from CHED (or DECS
