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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider CHED targets labor education integration in college curriculum by AY 2026–2027

CHED targets labor education integration in college curriculum by AY 2026–2027

Published May 1, 2026 10:01 am
CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Kiko Benitez, and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr. during the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11551 mandating the integration of labor education into the tertiary and technical-vocational curriculum held on April 29. (CHED photo)
CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Kiko Benitez, and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr. during the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11551 mandating the integration of labor education into the tertiary and technical-vocational curriculum held on April 29. (CHED photo)
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have officially signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11551, mandating the integration of labor education into the tertiary education and technical-vocational curriculum.
The signing, held on April 29, was led by CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez, and DOLE Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr.
It was guided by the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen the link between education and the workforce by equipping learners with essential labor competencies.
CHED said it is aiming to start the rollout in academic year (AY) 2026–2027, beginning with incoming freshmen through the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
“The closest target is the first semester, 2026–2027. So everything is already in progress. Maybe it would take us one or two Commission en banc, which is every Monday [before we] finalize and cascade it,” CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis said.
“For the freshmen who will enter in the first semester of academic year 2026–2027, we will integrate it into NSTP as a special lecture,” she added.
She said the program will be implemented in phases and expanded to higher year levels through module development and a training-of-trainers system with TESDA and DOLE.
“For the 2nd, 3rd, 4th year, especially the graduating, we are now coordinating with TESDA and DOLE to develop modules and train as many trainers as possible so we can cascade this to higher education institutions,” she added.
Work realities, rights awareness
Under the IRR, labor education will be implemented across all higher education institutions (HEIs) and technical-vocational (TVET) programs nationwide.
“Embedding labor education in the curriculum is important because, for many of us, we were not prepared before employment. When we entered the workforce, we learned these things along the way, sometimes through experience, sometimes through difficulty, and often without guidance,” Agrupis said.
The IRR provides for the development of standardized learning competencies and instructional materials covering labor laws, occupational safety and health, decent work principles, and industry relations.
It also establishes credit recognition and transfer mechanisms between TVET institutions and HEIs, allowing learners who complete equivalent labor education modules under technical-vocational programs to earn corresponding credits when they proceed to higher education programs with similar requirements.
TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez said the integration ensures learners are better prepared for the realities of the workplace.
“The idea of embedding Labor Education within the formal education system actually should have been a pre-requisite for us to be able to judge that our learners and workers are actually fit for work. The idea that the world of work has been changing does not excuse us from capacitating our learners to ensure that they understand both their rights and their responsibilities for the social contract of employment,” Benitez said.
DOLE Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr. said the program aims to prepare learners for employment by ensuring awareness of labor rights and responsibilities.
“We want learners to enter the workforce informed of their rights and responsibilities so they can uphold these and experience safe, fair, and decent working conditions from the very start of their employment,” Bitonio said.
Agrupis said the policy covers more than 33,000 academic degree programs across nearly 2,000 higher education institutions, reaching about 5.4 million students nationwide.
She noted that implementation will require a structured rollout to ensure consistency across institutions.
To ensure continued relevance, CHED and TESDA will review the labor education curriculum every three to five years, in consultation with industry stakeholders, labor groups, and other partners.

Related Tags

CHED DOLE TESDA LABOR EDUCATION RA 11551
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