Through the initiative and invitation of the University of Cagayan Valley (UCV), and in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office 2 (CHED RO2), CHED Chairperson, Dr. J. Prospero “Popoy” De Vera III, had a productive and fruitful meeting with the heads and representatives of Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) in the region on November 17, 2023. Present also during the meeting was CHED MIMAROPA’s Regional Director, Atty. Joselito C. Alisuag who served as a resource person.
In their respective messages during the CHED Chairperson’s meeting with the heads and representatives of PHEIs in the region, Atty. Marco Cicero F. Domingo, CHED RO2 OIC-Regional Director, and Dr. Esther Susan N. Perez-Mari, emphasized the importance of the CHED Chairperson’s visit in the region and encouraged the attendees maximized the opportunity.
“I realized that this is such a rare opportunity,” Dr. Mari said. “The call of our Chairman, “no student left behind,” those words resonate in Higher Education Institutions, and is still relevant up to today.”
Delivering an inspiring message, Chairperson De Vera shared the difference made by landmark reforms in the country’s higher education’s quality and accessibility, the insights and lessons that the recent global pandemic brought, and the assistance programs afforded by the Commission to HEIs. He highlighted the need to sustain the adoption of flexible learning as it facilitates the utilization of technology and makes higher education more accessible.
“I hope the universities take the best of what we have done during COVID pandemic and build upon it, especially, the values that we developed,” Chairperson De Vera conveyed. “In times of crisis, the best in us comes in.”
Chairperson De Vera also gave pieces of advice relating to the thrust of creating an equal playing field in terms of the offering of academic programs by HEIs in the public and private sectors.
The meeting concluded with an open forum in which concerns and questions were threshed out and discussed. (A. Maguigad Jr.)
