By: Sophia Pacheco
Photo courtesy: LeAnne Jazul/Rappler
A bill seeking to modernize the 30-year-old charter of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was filed in Congress on Tuesday, Sept. 30, aiming to update the agency’s mandate to better support higher education institutions across the Philippines.
The measure aims to ‘cultivate excellence, address performance, and provide support for quality programs’.
“Our goal is to evolve the role of CHED from gatekeeper to gardener…for 30 years, the focus has been on regulation; it's time to shift that focus to development.” Co-Chairperson Senator Loren Legarda said.
Under the proposed law, CHED would retain its standards role but will also engage more proactively in development, monitoring, and institutional support.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jude Acidre introduced the counterpart measure, House Bill No. 4958, or the Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025, which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 7722, also known as the Higher Education Act of 1994.
The proposed measure reflects recommendations from EDCOM 2’s nationwide consultations and review of higher education.
Key provisions include enhanced institutional capacity, developmental mandate, office for higher education development, faculty development fund, and typology-based autonomy.
“By repealing a 30-year-old law, we are not just updating CHED's charter; we are fundamentally transforming it into a proactive, development-focused agency,” Acidre said.
He added that the Faculty Development Fund and differentiated autonomy system directly respond to gaps identified in EDCOM 2’s national review.
“With this bill, we are building a more coherent, efficient, and globally competitive tertiary education system for all Filipinos,”
If passed, the Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025 would redefine CHED’s role in regulation and development, with the goal of strengthening the country’s higher education system.