CHED urged to fast-track reconstitution of Technical Panels
To address issues in higher education programs, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has been urged to expedite the reconstitution of its Technical Panels.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), in a statement issued Thursday, Aug. 8, noted that from Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 to FY 2023, only 15 out of the 98 Technical Panels had been reconstituted.
“In the CHED budget hearing last year, CHED committed to fast-tracking the reconstitution of 83 Technical Panels,” EDCOM 2 said.
The CHED Technical Panels are composed of experts recognized in their respective fields, responsible for developing roadmaps for disciplines and degree programs, as well as for reviewing, revising, and updating policies, standards, and guidelines for these programs.
Republic Act (RA) 7722, also known as the Higher Education Act of 1994, mandates that CHED “shall reconstitute and/or organize technical panels for different disciplines/program areas.”
These panels are tasked with assisting the Commission in setting standards, as well as in monitoring and evaluating programs and institutions.
EDCOM 2 emphasized that reconstituting the Technical Panels is a “crucial element” in CHED’s quality assurance efforts for higher education programs. This is in addition to mechanisms based on the outcomes and typology of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
“We would like to know—ano ba ang plano natin (what’s our plan) to reconstitute all of these Technical Panels?” EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Representative Mark Go asked CHED.
For CHED’s part, Chairman Popoy De Vera explained that the “cumbersome process” of recommending experts from the private sector and government agencies, in addition to those from the academe, has been a bottleneck in the reconstitution process.
“Ayaw naman po naming gumawa ng Technical Panel na kulang ng representation ng industry or government (We don’t want to create a Technical Panel that lacks representation from the industry or government),” De Vera said.
He then assured EDCOM 2 that the reconstitution of the panels would be completed before the end of the year.
As he underscored the need to strengthen CHED’s Technical Panels, Go suggested having alternate members to ensure the continuity of initiatives.
“I think we need to shorten the process so that we can immediately act on the many bills that we need to approve—actually already approved into law—but because there are still no technical panels to address the concerns and issues of the programs, they remain unaddressed,” Go added.