As the country gradually transitions to the post-pandemic era --- where face-to-face activities are now possible again and even gaining traction --- the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will be holding the SUC Fair 2022.

Together with the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges - National Capital Region (PASUC-NCR), various State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) nationwide will showcase their products, best practices, and research and innovations at this year's SUC Fair to be held from June 28 to July 1 at the SM MOA Music Hall in Pasay City.

With the theme, “Promoting Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Culture & Arts for National Development and Global Competitiveness,” this year’s SUC Fair will feature the sustained excellence, unified efforts, and competitive standards of higher education institutions.

The SUC Fair 2022 will also feature the culture and tradition of the participating SUCs among other exciting activities during the three-day fair.

CHED, in a briefer issued on Monday, June 27, said that at the onset of the global pandemic, the SUCs have “focused toward responding to the emerging challenges faced by the higher education sector, particularly on learning continuity.”

Many SUCs, CHED explained, “adapted and proposed innovations in establishing their own contextualized flexible learning programs.”

At the same time, CHED noted that SUCs also assisted government efforts by providing innovative products to combat the pandemic such as the preparation of sanitizers, creation of face masks, and provision of services related to preventing the spread of the virus.

“In a way, the pandemic became an opportunity that the SUCs used in proposing ways to prevent further disruptions to education, even in the post pandemic era,” CHED said.

On Feb. 5, 2021, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11522, declaring May 18 of every year as “National Higher Education Day.”

This is to commemorate the founding anniversary of the CHED which falls under the same month. However, due to the pandemic, in-person activities remain limited in the past year.

“Recently, after the first quarter of 2022, the health crisis situation in the Philippines became manageable,” CHED said. Given this, CHED will take the lead in commemorating the 2nd National Higher Education Day with this year’s highlight: the SUC Fair 2022.