More programs offered by state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) with licensure examinations will be quality assured with the partnership between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

The partnership will boost the assessment and monitoring of the compliance of SUCs and LUCs with the existing CHED policies, standards, and guidelines governing the operation of board programs, particularly the obtaining of a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC).

CHED Secretary Popoy De Vera and PRC Chairperson Charito Zamora, with CHED Commissioners Marita Canapi and Desiderio Apag III, CHED Executive Director Cinderella Benitez-Jaro, and PRC Commissioner Erwin Enad, sealed today the agreement with the signing of the Joint CHED-PRC Circular NO. 1, Series of 2025 at CHED central office.

    

“One of our commitments to President Bongbong Marcos is that all degree programs in Philippine universities are quality assured, particularly those with licensure examinations. The President in his SONA and his speech at the National Higher Education Day Summit on May 15, 2024 has reiterated that quality should never be compromised in higher education. CHED is implementing this President’s instructions,” De Vera said.

“Together with PRC, we renew our shared commitment to ensure quality assurance is in place, particularly in courses that lead to profession,” De Vera added.

“This partnership represents a bold and necessary step in aligning education and licensure requirements creating a seamless transition from academic preparation to professional practice. By strengthening our quality assurance mechanisms, we are paving the way for a more robust, credible, and future-ready system of higher education and professional licensure,” Zamora said.

The partnership between the two agencies is a reiteration of the CHED Circular No. 01, series of 2010 which states that SUCs and LUCs shall secure an authority from CHED to operate board programs through COPC.

The circular also stipulates that the PRC shall not admit applicants for licensure examination from SUCs and LUCs that failed to obtain COPC.

   

“We informed our universities about this five years ago, we issued a circular to the Presidents of SUCs and LUCs instructing them to sit down with the CHED regional directors, do an inventory of their degree programs, determine the non-compliant programs, and go to the board to set an action plan. This is not an arbitrary decision, we have been reminding our universities of their compliance with CHED guidelines for many years. Many SUCs and LUCs have achieved 100% COPC compliance, we expect the rest to follow,” De Vera said.

CHED has set a non-extendible deadline for COPC compliance until September 2025 and to prioritize board programs.

The signing of the revised Circular is by the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994” wherein CHED is mandated to ensure that the state policies in the provision of quality education.

Likewise, PRC is mandated to administer, implement, and enforce the regulatory policies of the State concerning the regulation and licensing of the various professions through the different Professional Regulatory Boards.

(SIGNED)
J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA III, DPA
Chairman
Commission on Higher Education