The Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) has backed the repeal of the charters of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), stating reforms are long overdue more than three decades after their establishment. Edcom 2 executive director Karol Mark Yee noted that many issues identified in the 1990s persist, including gaps in quality, mismatches between education and employment, and uneven regional access.
In Manila, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) endorsed repealing the charters of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) under Republic Act 7722 and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) under RA 7796. Proposed bills aim to introduce updated frameworks addressing current needs in education, workforce development, and global competitiveness.
Edcom 2 executive director Karol Mark Yee stated, “More or less, we are still facing similar concerns today, 32 years after the creation of what should have been the governance response to solve these constraints.” He cited CHED Region IV, where one person monitors nearly 200 programs. “How can you ensure quality under those conditions?” Yee asked, highlighting structural limits that allow diploma mills to proliferate.
CHED chair Shirley Agrupis also backed the reforms, stressing the need to bolster governance while upholding quality standards. She urged refining provisions on governance structures and regulatory authority. “If we set the right standards and strengthen our monitoring, we do not need quasi-judicial powers stipulated in the proposed measure,” Agrupis said.
