Across the Philippines, higher education institutions and learners face administrative delays, inconsistent regulatory processes, and uneven quality standards due to the lack of a unified framework for implementing policies across regions.
To advance this goal, CHED officially opened the Technical Unit Guidance and Operational Networking (TUGON) 2026, a three-day national conference bringing together more than 110 officials, regional directors, technical unit heads, and focal persons from the CHED Central Office and CHED Regional Offices (CHEDROs). Held from June 8 to 10, 2026, at the UP Hostel in UP Diliman, the conference serves as a strategic platform for policy alignment, operational collaboration, and knowledge-sharing on lifelong learning and non-conventional higher education programs.
The conference focuses on strengthening the implementation and updating the policies of major CHED initiatives, including the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), micro-credentials, recognition of prior learning, the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF), and Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL). Through technical discussions and operational planning sessions, participants are working to harmonize regional and national approaches, clarify regulatory concerns, identify emerging challenges and best practices, and establish more responsive coordination mechanisms across regions.
TUGON 2026 also seeks to build the technical and operational capacities of CHED personnel in managing lifelong learning systems and flexible learning pathways. By equipping regional offices with updated policy guidance and implementation strategies, CHED aims to ensure accessible, inclusive, and quality-assured higher education opportunities for diverse learners, including working professionals and adult learners seeking alternative routes to academic qualifications.
The conference supports the Commission’s ACHIEVE Agenda and broader national lifelong learning goals by fostering evidence-based governance, institutional collaboration, and future-ready higher education systems that respond to evolving educational and workforce demands. ###
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