1. SUMMIT’S PEAK. Being the higlight of the opening program of the two day Regional Higher Education Summit, CHED Chairperson, Patricia B. Licuanan’s keynote
speech states strategies to improve the quality of education among HEIs in the Bicol Region. The summit runs from November 14 -15 2013 at the Oriental Hotel, Legazpi
City. Photo by Earl Epson Recamunda | Text by Camille Lyela Regala
HEIs in Bicol gather for the 1st Summit
T
he Commission on
Higher
Education
(CHED) V and the Bikol Foundation for Higher
Education (BFHE) conducted the first Regional Higher
Education Summit, gathering both public and private
colleges and universities
for the first time in the region.
It was attended by
over 500 participants from
the colleges and universities
in the six provinces of the
region and government agencies like Department of Education (DepEd), Department
of Interior and Local Gov-
ernment (DILG), Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA),
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and
officials from Local Government Units (LGUs).
The keynote speaker,
CHED Chairperson Patricia B.
Licuanan said that this event
is a start of a good partnership among the HEIs for a better educational system in the
region.
“I think it is so that
Bicol educational institutions can work together, so
that they are more effective
in doing their jobs. As what
Lauraya urges SUCs to meet yearly
hilppine Association announcement of SUCs
of State Universities yearly summit was part of
and
Colleges
V her keynote speech during
(PASUC V) President Fay the said event. “Presidents
Lea Patria M. Lauraya will agree with me if we
urges State Universities do this more often. In
and Colleges (SUCs) in coming together we have
strength, and in talking and
Bicol to meet yearly.
President Lauraya communicating closely with
announced the plan for a each other, we will have
yearly convention during clearer vision of where
the pre-summit for the SUCs in Bicol will go in the
Regional Higher Education future. “
Matters concerning
Summit 2013 of SUCs last
November 13, 2013 at Bicol HEIs were the highlight of
University Amphitheater.
Lauraya’s remarks. Part of
L a u r a y a ’ s her keynote speech was
Lauraya urges...|Turn to back
P
Dr. Lauraya said, we are not
doing this as individual institutions; we are doing this as
Bicol Region,” Dr. Licuanan
stated.
Commissioner Licuanan discussed in her speech
the Basic Perspectives on the
Philippine Higher Education,
Philippine Higher Education
Landscape, and Higher Education and Philippine Development including its two outcomes, the (1) Filipinos with
competencies and high level
skills for National Development and Global Competitiveness; and (2) Ethical and Innovative Governance.
Along the first outcome, she stressed three
strategies: Expand access to
quality education and training; Develop competency required for inclusive growth
particularly in Key Employment
Generating
Sectors
(KEG); and Develop globally
competitive Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) and programs. The second outcome
had only one strategy: to implement good governance.
CHED Regional Director and summit chairman,
Dr. Freddie T. Bernal said that
they involved basic education, vocational technology,
HEIs in Bicol...|Turn to back
T
Topics aid HEIs to meet RDP
hree topics affecting Higher
Educational Institutions’
(HEIs) role in national
development were discussed in
the Regional Higher Education
Summit 2013.
The discussions delved into HEIs’
past performances, status and
prospects for the years to come
in order to meet Bicol’s Regional
Development Plan (RDP) for the
year 2011-2016.
Bicol’s
Plan
Regional
Development
Regional Development
Plan pursues four development
goals namely: provide basic
needs, ensure economic growth,
improve infrastructure and sustain
development that will serve as
guiding documents to the Philippine
Development Plan (PDP).
National
Economic
Development Authority (NEDA)
Regional Director Atty. Romeo C.
Escandor emphasized on the vital
role played by the local government
units in the plans’ achievements.
Escandor’s talk focused
education’s improvement through
strategical plans on basic education
reforms; market-oriented technical
and vocational programs to attain a
world class higher education.
Meanwhile, Escandor encourages
all local government units, national
agencies, regional institutions,
private sectors and civil society to
harmonize their plans and activities
with the regional development plan.
Topics aid HEIs ...|Turn to back

2. HEIs in Bicol...
HEIs and all other sectors in this first- time Photo: Earl Epson Recamunda
event.
“There are cross- cutting issues that
can be resolved through dialogues like this of
course in consonance with the Regional Development Plan that envisions in making Bicol Region the most liveable region in 2020,”
Dr. Bernal explained.
He noted that the final output will be
endorsed to the Regional Development Council (RDC) who will also recommend them to
the concerned line agencies.
“These outputs can also be used for
the re- aligning, redirection or re- strategizing towards higher education reforms [which
is] what we are expecting for higher educa- can help improve the competency of the colleges and universities.
tion for the best interest of the students.”
“This will strengthen the capabilities
When asked how the event could
secure the future of HEIs especially that the of Higher Education Institution (HEI) to retransition period of the K12 program is ap- spond to the challenges now and the future.”
Siera Lou Mata
proaching, the director answered that this
the impact of the reformed basic educational
system in the Philippines. She commended
the K-12 preparation of HEIs. “There are
limitations on our participation in assisting
in the reform, it is a reform in basic education
sector. We must therefore prepare differently
as Higher Education Institutions.”
Aside from the impact of K12 to
SUCs in the region, Lauraya talked about
the preparation of public higher educational
institutions
in
sending
competent
professionals in 2015 to ASEAN regions. She
emphasized the importance of graduates
having good credentials and the importance
of SUCs in providing good education to their
students.
“For
example,
multinational
Lauraya urges...
He also urges all stakeholders to be responsive
to the region’s needs in order to facilitate the
realization of the RDP’s goals making Bicol a livable
region in the Philippines.
Topics aid HEIs..
companies do not owe any allegiance to
a nation. So multinationals located in the
country are not obliged to hire Filipinos.
Credentials therefore will be the primary
basis regardless of nationally and race” said
Lauraya.
Aligning the academic programs of
SUCs in Bicol to Philippine Qualifications
Framework (PQF) as well as aligning PQF
to qualifications framework of ASEAN will
enhance the quality of education in the region
as what Lauraya said. Larger SUCs’ funding,
more centers of excellence, application to
higher forms of accreditation are some of the
ways she enumerated so that public HEIs in
the region can be at par internationally.
Zanie Jovellana
Photo: Earl Epson Recamunda
Promoting Philippine Competitiveness
Comparing Philippines’ performance
not only with its fellow ASEAN countries but
also with its own, Ms. Clarine P. Tobias, Metro
Naga Chamber of Commerce President promotes
competitiveness in the country’s educational
system during the first day of the summit.
In her presentation, Tobias stated
that Philippines climbed 6 notches from its 65th
position in 2012 this year, based on the Global
Competitiveness Index (Philippines vs. ASEAN).
Singapore ranks 1st among its ASEAN competitors
and 2nd in the global rank.
She also pointed out the main indicators
of why the Philippines places low in rank among
ASEAN countries. Quality of scientific research
institutions, net primary education enrolment,
quality of math and science education and the
capacity for innovation proved to be low in the
country according to the Global Competitiveness
report 2012- 2013.
EDPS: Its role in the Philippine Higher Education
Roadmap
Aiming to enhance SUCs’ capability to
implement strategic reforms, Philippine Public
Higher Education Reform (PHER) Roadmap
IN THE KNOW
Pursuant to Republic Act 7722
known as “Higher Education Act of
1994” and per Resolution no. 54 s.
2012 of the Regional Development
Council (RDC), the Bikol Foundation for Higher Education and the
Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) Regional Office V head the
1st Regional Higher Education Summit 2013.
The Summit aims to determine
present and emerging issues and
concerns affecting the Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) in the region. It also
targets to identify, align, adopt and
implement plans, policies, programs
and strategies that will strengthen
HEI’s capabilities to assume a better
responsive
role
in
the
Regional
Development Plan (RDP). Furthermore,
proposals, recommendations, resolutions
and pledges of commitment addressed
to authorities concerned to improve the
higher education system are expected at
the end of the event.
The event is a convergence of
representatives from HEIs and top-level officials of DepEd, TESDA, DILG and
CHED and will serve as an avenue for
plenary sessions and workshops. The
participants are then grouped into four
clusters namely: Basic Education Cluster,
Tech-Voc Cluster, Local Colleges Cluster and Higher Education Cluster. Each
group will present its outputs in the form
of resolutions, technical papers and recommendations which will be endorsed
to the Regional Development Council
(RDC).
Jessica Rae Nolasco
emphasizes Performance Excellence, Strategic
Management, Entrepreneurship and Global
Competitiveness.
Dr. Gloria J. Mercado, Vice President for
Academic Affairs of the Development Academy of
the Philippines (DAP), tackled ways to strengthen
SUC management through Executive Development
Program for SUCs (EDPS). EDPS is a Capability
Building Program designed for Presidents, Vice
Presidents and Middle Managers that will Improve
Efficiency, Upgrade Quality and Enhance Access to
quality Higher Education which are the prospected
PHER outcomes.
The inputs of Escandor, Tobias, and
Mercado provided insights to aid the participants
of the summit in coming up with resolutions,
recommendations, and other proposals towards
the improvement of Higher Education in the
region.
Jessica Rae Nolasco| Camille Lyela
Regala | Rexiene Borilla | Abigail Tabuzo
Jovellana | Jessica
Bicol University Zanie F. Borilla | Joan MarciaRae Nolasco | Camille Lyela Regala | Siera Lou Mata
Rexiene
Navarra | Abigail Tabuzo | Leo Sirios Jr
Newsletter Team Advisers: Dr. Agnes Nepomuceno | Ma. Celina G. Meneses | Dr. Ma. Julieta B. Borres