The Philippines’ higher education sector has made substantial progress in six key areas during the first year of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration, according to the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), J. Prospero de Vera III. The successes, based on verifiable data, were recently presented to the President.
Table of Contents
Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education
De Vera noted an increase in access to free education in over 200 public universities and colleges. While appreciating the progress, he emphasized the need for continued efforts to ensure education is inclusive and accessible for marginalized groups. The country’s university participation rate has risen to 41%, up from about 30% in 2015-2016.
Read more: DepEd Announces Teachers’ ’21 Allowance to Arrive in 2-3 Weeks
Maritime Education
The European Commission recognized the Philippines’ seafarer training and certification system, marking a significant achievement. The CHED is committed to improving and maintaining maritime education standards, and as part of this commitment, it’s conducting reviews and inspections of 83 institutions offering maritime programs.
Nursing and Medical Programs
CHED is working to address the shortage of Filipino nurses and improve the country’s medical programs. Immediate measures include providing competitive review classes for nursing graduates who didn’t pass their licensure exams. In the medium term, there are plans to create health care associate roles and expedite master’s degree programs for more nursing teachers. The long-term strategy involves lifting a 10-year moratorium on new nursing programs, with 55 universities having already applied to reopen these programs.
Expansion of Medical Education
The Marcos administration opened six medical programs in public universities in its first year, surpassing the four programs opened during the five years of the Duterte administration. These medical schools, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, aim to produce world-class doctors and nurses who are ready to serve in the country’s underserved areas.
Boosting STEM Programs
The administration has made significant strides in enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The goal is to train world-class Filipino professionals to fill global niche needs.
Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
The CHED is facilitating numerous agreements between Philippine HEIs and international institutions to strengthen global opportunities for students. Recent agreements include those between Miriam College and Camosun College in British Columbia, and between the Philippine State College of Aeronautics and the World Citi Colleges, in partnership with the British Columbia Institute of Technology, for the aviation and aircraft industry.
These achievements, along with future objectives, will be highlighted in the President’s second State of the Nation Address on July 24.
Read more: DepEd Announces: Teachers Set to Receive 2021 Allowance within 2 to 3 Weeks
