The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) clarified on Tuesday, May 12, that its proposal to overhaul the college General Education (GE) curriculum is still a work in progress, following a wave of concern from students and faculty.

Speaking at a televised briefing on Tuesday, CHEd Technical Panel for General Education chairperson Dr. Edizon Fermin said the proposed Reframed General Education Curriculum Component is still being refined through stakeholder consultations.

“Sa kasalukuyan ay patuloy na tumatanggap ang ating Komisyon sa Mataas na Edukasyon ng mga karagdagang puna, mungkahi at iba pang kaisipan (The Commission on Higher Education continues to receive additional comments, suggestions, and inputs),” he said.

“Uulitin ko po, ito ay nananatiling isang panukala. Hindi po maaaring ipatupad ng CHEd ang isang direksiyon sa patakaran sa higher education nang hindi natatapos ang malawakang mga konsultasyon (This is still a proposal. CHEd cannot implement a policy direction in higher education without completing extensive consultations),” he added.

Fermin said the review seeks to reassess the role of general education within the country’s higher education system, particularly as students now pass through senior high school before entering college.

“Tandaan po natin na mahigit isang dekada na po ang ating mga curriculum sa mataas na edukasyon (Our higher education curriculum has been in place for more than a decade),” he said.

He said CHEd is examining how GE fits within the overall degree structure, alongside professional and specialization courses.

“Kung ito po ay kailangang maging mas makatugon pa sa mga kahingian ng kasalukuyang panahon, ang una pong bagay na ating titingnan diyan ay iyong pangkalahatang tunguin ng General Education Curriculum Component (If this needs to be made more responsive to the demands of the current times, the first thing we will look at is the overall goal of the General Education Curriculum Component),” he said.

A key element of the proposal is reviewing whether some college GE subjects overlap with competencies already taught in senior high school.

Fermin said discussions with the Department of Education (DepEd) have focused on identifying learning areas that may already be covered earlier in the education system.

“Kung palalakasin natin iyan bilang bahagi ng foundational competencies ng ating mga mag-aaral ay magkakaroon ng espasyo para mas mapalawig at mapalakas pa iyong mga panimulang kasanayan sa higher education (If we strengthen that as part of our students’ foundational competencies, there will be space to further expand and reinforce those initial skills in higher education),” he said.

He added that the intent is not to remove learning but to avoid repetition.

“So ang ginagawa po natin ay huwag ulitin ang mga panimulang kasanayan, bagkus ay palalimin, palawakin natin sa kolehiyo (So what we are doing is not to repeat the basic skills, but instead to deepen and broaden them in college),” he said.

Fermin said the review is also aimed at improving graduates’ readiness for employment amid changing industry demands and technological developments.

“Isa sa mga pinakapangunahing layunin natin ay makakuha ng disenteng hanapbuhay ang ating mga mag-aaral (One of our main goals is for students to secure decent jobs),” he said.

He said this is increasingly important given rapid changes in technology and workplace requirements.

“Lalo na ngayon at nahaharap tayo sa patuloy na mga hamon ng teknolohiya at ang mga kaakibat nitong kasanayan (Especially now that we are facing the continuing challenges of technology and the skills that come with it),” he said.

During the interview, Fermin also addressed concerns that revising GE could affect holistic learning in college.

He said the review is being undertaken in coordination with other education agencies.

He said earlier discussions between CHEd and the Department of Education examined which GE competencies may already be taught in senior high school.

“Umabot po nang halos dalawang taon ang usapan kung alin ba iyong mga aralin na dating nasa GE na baka dapat ay binibigyan natin ng tuon sa senior high school (The discussion lasted almost two years on which lessons previously in GE should instead be given focus in senior high school),” he said.

One of the concerns raised by some stakeholders is the proposal to reduce GE units in college curricula, which they said could be lowered to as few as 18 units from the current 36 units, and could affect the coverage of liberal education subjects such as Philosophy, Literature, Ethics, History, and the Arts.

Fermin also assured that CHEd is studying ways to adjust without displacing faculty members.

“Hangga’t maaari ay hahanap tayo ng paraan para ma-optimize natin ang kakayahan ng ating mga faculty (As much as possible, we will look for ways to optimize the capabilities of our faculty),” he said.

He added that faculty workloads may be reconfigured depending on expertise.

“Maaaring ma-reconfigure ang kanilang magiging load para makapagturo rin sila ng mga bagong professional at specialization subjects (Their teaching load may be reconfigured so they can also teach new professional and specialization subjects),” he said.

CHEd said the proposal remains under consultation, with multiple rounds of stakeholder engagement already conducted and more planned.

“Hindi ito isang tapos na polisiya. Ito ay draft na patuloy na pinayayaman ng konsultasyon (This is not a finished policy. It is a draft that continues to be enriched through consultation),” Fermin said.

He said zonal consultations were conducted in 2025 across four regional groupings, followed by inter-agency meetings.

He added that further consultations will include students, alumni, faculty members, school administrators, industry representatives, and professional organizations.

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