CHED urges SUCs to pursue higher quality assurance

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) emphasized that securing the Certificate of Program Compliance should not be the end goal for higher education institutions (HEIs), calling it the "bare minimum" requirement and urging state universities and colleges (SUCs) to seek regional and international accreditations.

In a statement on March 20, CHED Chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III stressed the need for SUCs to go beyond compliance and commit to rigorous quality assurance mechanisms that align with global standards. 

As to continue the improvement of the country’s higher education system, de Vera lauded University of the Philippines (UP) Manila and Los Baños for setting an example in quality assurance mechanisms as they were exempted from the Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) requirements.

“UP Manila and Los Baños showed leadership as National University by having their programs quality assured, with documentation, based on national and international standards. They now serve as an example for other state universities and colleges to subject their degree programs to quality assurance processes,” he said in a statement.

A COPC is necessary for HEIs offering board programs to ensure students are prepared for licensure examinations. It requires institutions to meet criteria such as hiring qualified faculty, providing adequate laboratories, and maintaining updated curricula that align with national and international standards.

CHED reminded other HEIs that they have until September 2025 to secure COPC for their board programs. Failure to do so will result in their programs being deemed "non-existent" by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), making graduates ineligible for licensure examinations.

Programs exempted in UP Manila include Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dental Medicine, and degrees in Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. Meanwhile, the exemption also covers UPLB programs such as Agriculture, Food Science and Technology, and Veterinary Medicine.

The push for higher accreditation is part of the Marcos administration’s goal to strengthen the country’s higher education system. De Vera highlighted that by 2028, Philippine universities must significantly improve their global standing.

Currently, 87 Philippine HEIs have earned international rankings, a steep increase from 52 in 2023 and 22 in 2022. CHED aims to raise this number to 220 by the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s term.

To support this initiative, De Vera also noted that CHED is expanding scholarship and upskilling programs for faculty members, including partnerships with international institutions such as the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Massey University in New Zealand, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

With the deadline for COPC compliance approaching, CHED continues to urge HEIs to document their quality assurance efforts and pursue international accreditations that go beyond the minimum requirements.