Panayam kay CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III
Panayam kay CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III
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00:00 Accomplishments and plans of the CHED for 2024 we will discuss.
00:05 With me is Dr. Prospero De Vera III, Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education.
00:10 Good afternoon, Chairman.
00:13 Good afternoon to you both and good afternoon to the whole Philippines.
00:18 Okay, sir. We know that the CHED has a significant achievement this year.
00:22 Can you please share with us some of the achievements of the Commission
00:26 for a more inclusive and equitable public university admissions this year?
00:32 The achievements of the CHED were included by President Bongbong Marcos in his SONA,
00:40 both the printed version and the version delivered in Congress.
00:45 So we said six of them.
00:48 The first one is to continue free education, free quality education.
00:54 So now in 2023, more than 2 million children have passed the 200 public exams
01:04 that are not paid by the tuition and miscellaneous fees.
01:07 So the President said we will continue that.
01:10 All of our achievements of 2023, the new ones in 2024,
01:16 we will put the Marcos dimension.
01:19 I told President Marcos that students now have access,
01:25 it's easier to study because it's free, in the quality of education.
01:30 What is needed for 2024 is the equity dimension.
01:35 What I mean is, we will consciously look for their programs in our provinces
01:42 to increase the number and percentage of students
01:47 who come from poor families, children of indigenous communities,
01:52 those who come from poor backgrounds.
01:54 So that's equity.
01:56 Our banner for 2024 is inclusive education.
02:00 The second one, we said we have overcome the crisis of EMSA.
02:07 Finally, after 17 years under the leadership of President Marcos
02:11 and the work of government agencies,
02:14 the EU has said that we will accept for another 10 years
02:18 the certification that you are giving to our seafarers.
02:21 That's the good news.
02:23 The President's order is to fast-track the implementation of our commitments.
02:29 Because we committed to EMSA that all of the 83 universities and colleges
02:36 offering maritime programs, we will inspect again this year
02:40 to make sure that it complies.
02:42 And if necessary, we will pass the non-compliant programs.
02:46 What we asked for in EMSA is 3 years.
02:48 The President's order is to finish it in 2 years.
02:51 So before 2024, we will look for compliance in EMSA
02:58 and the assessment test so that the students who will choose the students
03:04 will know the quality of the students who will be admitted to the maritime programs.
03:09 We also said this year in SONA that we will continue producing
03:15 world-class doctors and nurses.
03:18 The Doctor for the Nation, when I was in CHED,
03:22 there were only 8 public universities with medical programs.
03:25 Now, there are 11.
03:28 And out of the 19, actually 8 were approved during the first year of the Marcos administration.
03:35 So what we will do next year is we will target to open 4 to 5 additional medical schools
03:43 so that the number of students who can study for free will increase.
03:48 The number of graduates who will serve in the underserved areas will increase.
03:52 So our 2024 is to continue and increase the number of public universities
04:00 offering medical programs.
04:02 And we're signing contracts also with private schools with medical programs
04:07 so that the scholarship can be given to private schools.
04:11 There will be return services, of course, so we will increase the number of schools.
04:15 So that it will increase.
04:16 When it comes to nursing, the President ordered us in 2023 to address the nursing shortage.
04:24 We have already laid out long-term, medium-term, and immediate programs for the nursing shortage.
04:31 What we will focus on in 2024 is to give a review class to the under-born hospital employees.
04:43 These are the ones who have already finished nursing, who have already undergone hospital training.
04:47 I have a bad luck that I was unable to pass the licensure.
04:51 We are mobilizing the top nursing schools to partner with the hospitals
04:57 to give a quality review program.
05:01 So we will start it in the first quarter of 2024.
05:05 We're targeting the first batch to take the nursing exams in November.
05:09 So that's our 2024 program.
05:13 The new programs that we are pushing are also skills-oriented,
05:19 including aircraft maintenance, avionics.
05:23 So in 2024, we will focus on animation.
05:27 We are pushing the best Philippine schools with the top universities in the world
05:32 to produce world-class animators.
05:35 So we have a project with iAcademy with Della Salvinil in 2024.
05:41 And lastly, what we told the President,
05:44 the Philippine universities are increasing in the world rank.
05:49 In SONA, the President reported 52.
05:52 Our target for the next SONA is 75.
05:56 But I was surprised because it's already 76.
06:01 We still have half a year.
06:03 So our target is to increase it a bit.
06:07 Maybe 80 Philippine universities have already passed the world-class assessment.
06:15 So that's the continuation.
06:18 So in short, 2024 is building upon the gains achieved during the first year of the Marcos administration
06:26 on different areas.
06:28 That's our goal.
06:29 But we also have new ones that we didn't do in 2023, but we will do in 2024.
06:37 We will make sure that all the degree programs of the universities are world-class or up to standards,
06:46 requiring all of them to have a certificate of program compliance,
06:50 qualified faculty, good curriculum, necessary facilities.
06:55 But the big news for 2024, because we have already fixed the maritime education,
07:01 our other problem area is teacher education.
07:04 That's a hot issue.
07:07 I was surprised because we have regulations that almost no graduates pass the LET.
07:14 So now in 2024, we are reviewing and if necessary, we will start to close down substandard programs in teacher education.
07:27 Because this issue has been raised for years, and it needs to be taken action by CHED.
07:33 Yes, and part 3G, CHED's roadmap is very good.
07:36 You can see that they are specific in their targets.
07:40 Their program is targeted, so it's more effective.
07:42 Correct, and very progressive, I may say.
07:44 Very interesting, Secretary Popoy, our program is for inclusive and equitable public university admission.
07:52 To your colleagues, how is the number of admissions in state universities in marginalized sectors this year, 2023?
08:02 This is a very long issue, Secretary Popoy.
08:04 In UP, if you remember, we already had affirmative action there before,
08:10 but now we see that UP students are in cars.
08:15 What is the plan here?
08:17 There is good and bad news.
08:19 Not just in UP, because before, our issue was UP.
08:23 The good news is that the admission rate in public universities has really increased.
08:29 The participation rate, this is the percentage of university-age students studying in universities.
08:36 We are now at 41%.
08:39 We are now facing our neighboring countries that will be good, like Malaysia, like Thailand.
08:47 That is the good news.
08:48 The message that you can dream, that you can finish, that message is clear.
08:55 That's the good news.
08:56 The bad news is that because many want to go to the poverty-stricken areas,
09:00 those from poor families and children are being squeezed out.
09:06 Because they are less prepared to get an admission test.
09:10 There is no fee for the review class.
09:13 Their conscience is weak because they are from the barrios, from far away.
09:18 Their parents are often not able to finish, so their conscience is weak, they can handle it.
09:25 So that is the bad news.
09:26 That is why we need to focus on inclusive education.
09:30 It means that all public universities should re-examine their admission policy.
09:36 This is the one who applies, this is the one who receives.
09:38 Who is the one who receives?
09:40 And slowly increase the percentage and number of students admitted from poor families, etc.
09:49 We can blame the DSWD because it is in their district.
09:53 We know who is poor.
09:55 We can blame the DepEd because they are from the senior high.
09:59 So there are many things that the government can do.
10:01 Very simple.
10:02 Identify the public schools where students can send their students to get admission.
10:09 And how many students can get admission?
10:11 If they see that it is low, they can target that public school.
10:15 They can go there and sign the MOA with DepEd.
10:19 They can give free review classes.
10:22 On the career day, the government can go there and strengthen the minds of the children.
10:27 "Come to our school, you will be given help."
10:32 Sometimes, the children need to be strong-willed, especially in remote areas.
10:37 Because they are weak-willed because even their neighbors are not able to study.
10:42 So for them, it is normal that they are not able to study.
10:45 We have to convince them that they can get free education.
10:50 So we will sign an agreement with CHED.
10:54 We will get the list of 3.0 from DSWD.
10:58 We already know who will be admitted.
11:01 Once they are admitted, we will target that they can finish.
11:07 It means, where are they having a hard time?
11:09 Maybe they need an additional tutorial.
11:12 If there is a fund for the tuition, maybe they can give free lunch for the children.
11:18 We need to organize the students who are on the list, who are from poor families,
11:24 and help and guide them to finish.
11:28 Because the government has resources to help them when they are already in the university.
11:33 The problem is, if they are not able to pass the admission.
11:37 Because the UP, of course, the UP is notorious in Baba.
11:41 But even the other good public universities,
11:45 the PUP, only 15 to 20% of the students are from poor families.
11:52 The top universities are all less than 50%.
11:56 So that is our new battle cry for 2024.
12:00 Inclusive education. Equity.
12:03 So this administration will be known as the Equity Administration.
12:09 And the president who made it possible for the marginalized groups to enter the mainstream.
12:17 That is our battle cry starting 2024.
12:21 So we already have ongoing research, Region 1, Region 8, Region 12.
12:26 The higher education is already being studied there.
12:29 And based on what they find out, this will now change the admission policies,
12:34 retention policies of our schools.
12:37 That is a good project, right, partner Chi?
12:40 Especially because free education, its beneficiaries should really be the poor.
12:45 So you will be joining the DSWD there, Secretary Poy.
12:49 Yes, we are thankful to Secretary Rex because I only have one letter.
12:53 Your list is already with us.
12:56 So we already know who should be helped by the government.
12:59 The response of the DSWD is very quick.
13:01 And I'd like to thank Secretary Cachallan for that.
13:04 It's good that we're able to talk about the loophole in that direction.
13:07 At least we're able to do the CHED right away.
13:09 But Secretary Poy, when we go back to the maritime program that you mentioned earlier,
13:14 I believe there is an achievement that the CHED has now achieved
13:18 because of the recognition of the European Commission,
13:20 our seafarers training and certification.
13:23 What are the achievements of the CHED in compliance with the European Maritime Safety Agency?
13:27 Well, our achievement is that the administration has not been able to achieve it for 17 years.
13:35 But you had a problem a few years ago.
13:37 Oh yes, 2006 compliance.
13:40 Every administration, every year, government tries but it is not acceptable to EU and EMSA.
13:49 We made very drastic actions, both CHED and Marina,
13:54 to once and for all show you that we are serious.
13:59 What really helped was that the President personally went to Brussels.
14:04 He talked to the EU, he talked to the seafarers,
14:08 he told them that we are serious here.
14:11 I think that is the crucial element that was missing previously.
14:16 Because there was no Philippine President who went there and said,
14:20 "We are serious, this is it."
14:22 "This is it."
14:24 So that is the biggest achievement.
14:27 It is difficult because in 2006, there was a time when 79 were on the list of non-compliance.
14:34 Think about it, 79 non-compliance ones.
14:37 When it was about to end, we said it little by little until finally,
14:42 first, moratorium on maritime programs.
14:46 While all schools are being evaluated, no one will allow a new maritime program to be opened for five years.
14:53 Let us first clean up all the problems and then we decide on the fourth year, do we need more schools?
14:59 Maybe the number of schools that are being offered is enough.
15:02 That has never been done, the moratorium.
15:04 We did that, very decisive.
15:06 We said, we will evaluate all over again, all 83 schools.
15:11 We will repeat the evaluation.
15:13 So our action is very decisive.
15:16 The only difference is when we reported this to the President,
15:20 when we said that we promised three years in December,
15:23 the President said, "Make it two years."
15:25 So now, the problem is getting bigger.
15:30 The marina, the jet and the coast guard, because the timetable is getting bigger.
15:37 The President wants the global standards to be there so we will remain the nation of choice for recruitment of seafarers.
15:47 Well, I can understand the vision of the President because now, there are a lot of cruise ships, right?
15:52 Even here in the Philippines, they are going here and all around the world.
15:56 Thank you very much to all of you who shared with us.
15:59 And Happy New Year, Commission on Higher Education Chairman, Dr. Prospero De Vera III.
16:05 Happy New Year to all of you on behalf of the Commission on Higher Education.
16:09 Thank you very much.