MANILA — The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) on Thursday welcomed the approval of several bills reorganizing the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), describing it as a significant step toward modernizing and restructuring the country’s tertiary education system.

“Our Committee’s approval of landmark legislation marks a critical inflection point in fulfilling the mandate to build a modern, coherent, and future-ready tertiary education system for the Philippines,” said EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Jude Acidre. “We are fundamentally transforming how we view and govern our institutions, ensuring our educational output is globally competitive and aligned with national development goals.”

A major component of the reforms is the proposed “Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025,” which seeks to repeal the Higher Education Act of 1994. The measure aims to shift the higher education framework from regulatory oversight to a development-oriented system focused on innovation.

The proposal introduces a typology-based classification system for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), granting differentiated autonomy to high-performing schools to encourage innovation and reduce regulatory burdens. It also mandates sustained investment in faculty development through a Faculty Development Fund, requiring at least 5 percent of CHED’s annual appropriations to be allocated to scholarships, grants, and training for qualified faculty.

The measure further strengthens CHED’s supervisory authority by clarifying its quasi-judicial powers. Under House Bill 4958, the CHED Chairperson will retain the rank and emoluments of a Department Secretary.

TESDA reorganization also approved

The House Higher Education Committee also endorsed several bills seeking the structural reorganization of TESDA, including House Bills 3048, 3683, 4767, 5145, and 5613. The proposals elevate the rank of the TESDA Director-General to the level of a Department Secretary.

Under the reforms, the current TESDA Board will be replaced with a Board of Advisers that will convene twice a year to provide policy direction and oversight. The board will be co-chaired by the TESDA Director-General, the Labor Secretary, and the Education Secretary. Other members include the Secretaries of Trade and Industry, Agriculture, Interior and Local Government, and the CHED Chairperson.

The board will also include four representatives from employer and industry groups, six from the labor sector, two from private technical-vocational training institutions, and two from the business and investment community.

The bills also streamline technical pathways by formally recognizing Associate Degrees as post-secondary qualifications that equip learners with specialized skills while enabling progression to baccalaureate programs. Polytechnic Colleges will be defined as institutions offering National Certificate (NC) Levels 4–5 that provide pathways to bachelor’s degrees.

EDCOM 2 said the developments follow its recommendations to update the mandates of both CHED and TESDA after hearings underscored the need for urgent charter revisions. The Commission said the committee’s approval signals support for efforts to build a more cohesive and efficient tertiary and technical-vocational education system.