Aiming to transform its role from a traditional “gatekeeper” of standards to a “gardener” that nurtures innovation, access, and quality across the tertiary education sector, a bill seeking to modernize the 30-year-old charter of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has been filed.

In a bid to overhaul the country’s higher education system, Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Co-Chairpersons Senator Loren Legarda and Representative Jude Acidre have filed landmark measures updating CHED’s decades-old charter.

“Our goal is to evolve the role of CHED from gatekeeper to gardener,” said Legarda, who filed Senate Bill No. 1427. “For 30 years, the focus has been on regulation; it's time to shift that focus to development.”

Legarda emphasized that the bill enables CHED to actively promote excellence, address underperformance, and extend the necessary support for the country’s higher education institutions to thrive.

“This bill empowers CHED to proactively cultivate excellence, weed out poor performance, and provide the support our higher education institutions need to flourish,” she added. “By modernizing its charter, we are ensuring CHED has the right tools to build a truly competitive and high-quality tertiary education system for the country.”

Acidre, meanwhile, introduced the bill’s counterpart, House Bill No. 4958.

The Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025 aims to modernize Republic Act No. 7722, the Higher Education Act of 1994.

Three decades after CHED was established following recommendations from the first EDCOM, EDCOM 2 recognized the need to shift the country's higher education legal framework from a primarily regulatory approach to a forward-looking, development-focused system capable of adapting to a rapidly changing global environment.

The proposed measure introduces sweeping reforms that reflect the findings of EDCOM 2’s nationwide consultations and assessment of higher education:

- Enhanced institutional capacity: Consolidates CHED’s quasi-judicial powers to efficiently resolve disputes on establishing, closing, or maintaining higher education institutions (HEIs) and programs.

- Developmental mandate: Positions CHED to strategically guide higher education by formulating national plans, collaborating with DepEd, TESDA, and PRC, broadening student access, and aligning programs with both national development goals and global standards.

- Office for Higher Education Development: A new unit to spearhead institutional support, foster international collaboration, and promote flexible pathways such as ladderized education and micro-credentials.

- Faculty Development Fund: Requires at least five percent (5%) of CHED’s annual budget to fund scholarships, grants, and training for faculty and administrators in public and private institutions.

- Typology-based system with differentiated autonomy: Classifies HEIs by role and grants greater self-governance to institutions that consistently demonstrate high performance and accountability.

EDCOM 2 highlighted that between 2012 and 2022, 77 HEIs offering Bachelor of Elementary Education and 105 offering Bachelor of Secondary Education continued operations despite posting zero passing rates in the Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET). The reform bill seeks to address such persistent performance gaps.

Acidre said the bill represents a cohesive and forward-thinking vision for Philippine education.

“By repealing a 30-year-old law, we are not just updating CHED's charter; we are fundamentally transforming it into a proactive, development-focused agency,” he said.

He stressed that the establishment of a dedicated Faculty Development Fund and a system of differentiated autonomy are direct responses to the needs identified during the national assessment conducted by EDCOM 2.

“With this bill, we are building a more coherent, efficient, and globally competitive tertiary education system for all Filipinos,” Acidre added.

EDCOM 2, created under Republic Act 11899, is mandated to conduct a comprehensive national evaluation of the Philippine education sector and recommend legislative measures to address the learning crisis. The modernization of CHED’s charter marks one of its most significant reform initiatives to date.

If passed, the Higher Education Development and Innovation Act of 2025 could redefine how CHED supports, regulates, and develops the country’s higher education institutions—paving the way for a stronger, more competitive, and globally aligned tertiary education system.