6 February 2026
QUEZON CITY — A landmark partnership to professionalize the nation’s social workforce officially commenced following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to implement Project ASCEND (Accelerated Social Work Credentialing and Equivalency for National Development).
Project ASCEND is a quality-assured credentialing and equivalency pathway that targets more than 22,000 Social Work Assistants and Project Development Officers within the DSWD. While these practitioners possess extensive field experience and have completed rigorous training through the DSWD Academy, many lack the formal degree required for professional licensure.
This project serves as a cornerstone implementation of Republic Act No. 12124, also known as the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) Act, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last year. The law mandates the institutionalization of ETEEAP as a formal, quality-assured pathway for working professionals to earn college degrees by validating skills and knowledge acquired through years of service.
The ceremonial signing, led by CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis and DSWD Secretary Rexlon Gatchalian, formalizes the agencies’ commitment to establishing a system that recognizes community development workers’ on-the-ground experience, validated training, and years of public service as pathways toward meeting academic requirements.
“The direction of this outcome-based partnership is clear. CHED provides policy leadership, deputization processes, and quality assurance systems to safeguard academic integrity. DSWD brings a mission-critical workforce and a competency architecture shaped by real-world service demands,” Chairperson Agrupis stated.
Currently, the University of Northern Philippines and La Consolacion University Philippines serve as the primary ETEEAP-deputized institutions for this program. To ensure wider regional access, CHED has identified 19 additional potential ETEEAP providers across the country, based on eligibility requirements and Social Worker Licensure Examination performance. These include:
- University of the Philippines Diliman
- Philippine Women’s University – Manila
- Saint Louis University – Baguio City
- Pangasinan State University
- St. Paul University Philippines
- Bulacan State University
- Cavite State University
- Bicol University – Albay
- University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos
- Silliman University – Dumaguete City
- Eastern Samar State University
- Leyte Normal University
- Western Mindanao State University
- Misamis University
- Ateneo de Davao University
- Davao del Norte State College
- University of Mindanao – Davao City
- Cotabato State University – Cotabato City
- Notre Dame of Marbel University – Koronadal City
Chairperson Agrupis emphasized that this move aligns with the CHED ACHIEVE Agenda, particularly Pillar A on Advanced and Accessible Lifelong Learning and Pillar C on Centralized One-Nation Human Capital Development, which seeks to expand outcomes-based pathways that recognize prior learning, support working professionals, and strengthen critical sectors of the national workforce.
“This direction aligns with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that no Filipino is left behind in building a more inclusive and future-ready nation,” Chairperson Agrupis added.