CHED: Degree programs of some local colleges have no permits

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) revealed on Tuesday that most of the degree programs being offered by 93 local colleges and universities (LCU) do not have permits to operate. At a Senate hearing, CHED Enforcement and Investigation Division chief Lily Freida Milla said their latest report showed that of the 450 degree programs being offered by 93 LCUs, only 42 have permits to operate. Milla, however, failed to provide a complete list of the said LCUs and the degree programs that they offer. Senator Edgardo Angara, who chairs the Senate education committee, explained that the Local Government Code allows local governments to establish their own educational institutions. But Angara said there is no law to regulate LCUs so more and more cities and munipalities continue to create their own colleges or universities even if the quality of their programs are not that good. "Parang nalulugi naman ng ating mag estudyante sapagkat ang nakukuha nilang diploma is not worth the paper (Our students suffer because the diploma that they receive is not worth the paper)," he said in an interview after the hearing. Milla said they have already issued a circular that will not allow graduates to take the board exams unless his or her degree program is accredited or recognized by CHED. She likewise said that CHED issued several guidelines in cooperation with the Department of Interior and Local Government, which requires that the CHED be consulted before LCUs are established. Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who chairs the Senate local government committee, said he recognizes that there are some LCUs who are in the business purely for commercial benefit. Marcos noted, however, that there are still those LCUs who are just in need of facilities and teachers. "Let us not do something do discourage those sincere efforts to widen the coverage on tertiary education," he said during the hearing. Angara said they plan to submit a proposal on regulating LCUs within two weeks. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News