- EDCOM 2 applauds the House Higher Education Committee for approving landmark bills to restructure CHED and TESDA, marking a major step in overhauling Philippine tertiary education.
- The proposed Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025 shifts the system toward growth, innovation, and differentiated autonomy for high-performing institutions.
- Reforms strengthen faculty development, CHED’s quasi-judicial powers, and TESDA’s mandate, aiming to build a cohesive, future-ready higher education and tech-voc ecosystem.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, hailed the advances of major reforms in education following the approval by the House Higher Education Committee of several landmark bills that would restructure and modernize the country's entire tertiary education system.
Approval by the committee of measures reorganizing both the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) signals the start of a comprehensive overhaul that policymakers believe is vital toward making Philippine higher education globally competitive and in step with the long-term development goals of the country.
EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Jude Acidre hailed the development as a milestone in higher education, asserting that the reforms transcend incremental change and are a game-changer regarding how higher education institutions function. Innotech's representative stressed that the aspiration is to set up a cohesive, modern, and relevant tertiary system capable of responding to the changing needs of students, industries, and the national economy.
The proposed 'Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025' that aims to repeal the Higher Education Act of 1994 constitutes a major part of the reform effort. It establishes a new framework oriented toward the development of growth and innovation, rather than the mere regulation of the system. Thus, in this development-oriented system, higher education institutions will be classified according to the new typology, hence enabling the highly performing institutions to enjoy differentiated autonomy. This approach rewards quality and institutional maturity with increased flexibility, a reduced regulatory burden, and more leeway in innovating with respect to both academic programs and operations.
This proposal also puts a premium on investments in faculty development. The Act requires that at least five percent of CHED’s annual budget be invested in a Faculty Development Fund for scholarships, training programs, and grants for qualified faculty members to ensure high standards of academic excellence. The reform also provides that CHED’s quasi-judicial powers will be further strengthened to enable the Commission to more effectively establish quality standards and settle disputes within the higher education system. According to House Bill 4958, the CHED Chairperson will still maintain the rank and privileges of a Department Secretary.
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Along with CHED reorganization, the committee also approved several bills modernizing TESDA. These measures propose increasing the rank of the TESDA Director-General to that of a Department Secretary and replacing the current TESDA Board with a Board of Advisers, so as to provide strategic policy direction.
The reconstituted board will consist of key government officials and representatives of industry, labor, private training institutions, and the business sector. The reforms also expanded the mandate given to TESDA by explicitly recognizing Associate Degrees as post-secondary qualifications offering both employability-focused skills and academic preparation for eventual baccalaureate studies.
Polytechnic Colleges are clearly defined in the proposed law as institutions offering advanced National Certificates creating pathways to bachelor’s degree programs. These legislative developments are closely aligned with the recommendations of EDCOM 2 after extensive hearings that showed the urgent need to update both the mandates of CHED and TESDA. The Commission regards the passage of the reform package by the committee as a strong statement of commitment by the country to build a cohesive, efficient, and future-ready higher education and technical-vocational ecosystem.
