On paper, the Philippines has never invested more in higher education: college tuition is free in state universities, enrollment has surged, and thousands of academic programs promise opportunity.

But behind this expansion lies a quieter reality—the very agency tasked with ensuring quality is stretched to its limits.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) paints a troubling picture of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)—an organization that is overloaded, undermanned, and struggling to keep pace with a rapidly growing and increasingly complex higher education system.

In its Final Report, Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform (2026–2035), EDCOM 2 highlighted extreme deficiencies in CHED’s regional monitoring capacity—where a single staff member is expected to oversee hundreds of academic programs, making effective quality assurance mathematically impossible—and noted that curriculum updates in higher education are rarely proactive.

In CHED’s regional offices across the country, EDCOM 2 pointed out that quality assurance often comes down to impossible math.

Nationwide, only 398 plantilla personnel are assigned to monitor 37,443 undergraduate and graduate programs. In some regions, a single staff member is responsible for overseeing more than 200 programs.

In Metro Manila, where the country’s largest universities operate, just 31 CHED staff members monitor nearly 6,900 programs.

In CALABARZON, 27 personnel oversee more than 5,100 programs.

Each regional office has only 20 to 28 staff members on average, yet they are responsible for ensuring that colleges comply with academic standards, faculty requirements, and curriculum guidelines.

For many inside the system, meaningful oversight has become nearly impossible.

EDCOM 2 noted that without enough permanent personnel, CHED relies heavily on Contract of Service workers—staff without long-term security or full regulatory authority.

When CHED was created in 1994, its mission was clear and manageable.

At the time, the Philippines had 1,755 higher education institutions and 1.58 million college students.

EDCOM 2 noted that the landscape has transformed: there are now 1,980 colleges and universities serving 3.8 million students. CHED’s responsibilities have multiplied even faster.

Over three decades, EDCOM 2 observed that at least 164 laws and policies expanded the agency’s role, turning it into not just a regulator but also a financial aid provider, social policy implementer, capacity-building partner, and education system integrator.

Despite these expansions, staffing barely kept pace. Between 2013 and 2023, CHED’s budget increased by 633 percent, but its workforce grew by only 22.7 percent.

Its organizational structure, designed for policymaking, now struggles under the weight of daily implementation and enforcement, EDCOM 2 noted.

EDCOM 2 said the consequences of understaffing are already visible.

Between 2022 and 2025, CHED managed to review only 13 percent of programs scheduled for monitoring. Of those reviewed, 84 percent had deficiencies.

These ranged from inadequate facilities to weak faculty qualifications—issues that directly affect the quality of education students receive.

Education experts also warned that this creates space for so-called “diploma mills”—institutions offering degrees that hold little real-world value.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee stressed that without adequate personnel on the ground, the government cannot effectively curb substandard programs or shut down “diploma mills” that continue to operate despite consistently poor licensure examination results.

Without sufficient oversight, these programs continue operating, producing graduates who may struggle in licensure exams or employment.

EDCOM 2 also pointed out that the manpower shortage affects not only monitoring but also curriculum development.

“Higher education curricula must not only be reactive to changes in the basic education curriculum, but must also be responsive to the evolving needs of learners and the workforce,” the report stated.

Citing commission data, EDCOM 2 noted that CHED takes an average of 11 years to update standards for college degree programs.

In an era shaped by artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and evolving job markets, that delay can leave graduates unprepared.

Many Philippine degree programs remain heavy on classroom theory and light on internships and hands-on training. For example, teacher education students complete around 360 hours of practice teaching—less than half the international benchmark of roughly 800 hours.

The result: graduates who are academically trained but lack real-world readiness.

The curriculum itself is difficult to change. Certain subjects are required by law, including The Life and Works of Rizal, Physical Education, and the National Service Training Program.

While important, these fixed requirements limit flexibility to adapt programs quickly to industry needs.

Even when reforms reduce general education units, programs often fill the space with more academic coursework instead of practical training.

EDCOM 2 stressed that change is urgent—especially for higher education.

To address the crisis, lawmakers have proposed updating CHED’s charter through the Higher Education Development and Innovation Act.

The proposal would add at least 342 quality assurance officers, modernize CHED’s structure, and improve monitoring coverage nationwide—ensuring that every academic program is regularly evaluated.

EDCOM 2 noted that CHED has also begun reconstituting its Technical Panels—expert groups that review curriculum standards—and plans to create new panels in emerging fields like artificial intelligence and data analytics.

EDCOM 2 noted that while the Philippines has invested heavily in expanding college access, especially through free tuition programs, access without quality carries risks.

If weak programs continue unchecked, EDCOM 2 said students may graduate with degrees that fail to deliver opportunity.

Ensuring quality higher education requires more than policy: it requires people—enough trained professionals to uphold standards in every classroom, campus, and program, EDCOM 2 stressed. 

For EDCOM 2, strengthening CHED is not just about bureaucracy—it is about protecting students’ futures.