EDCOM 2 (The Second Congressional Commission on Education) Co-Chairperson Representative Mark Go implored the Commission on Higher Education to fast-track the reconstitution of Technical Panels to address issues in higher education programs.
CHED Technical Panels are individuals recognized in their fields of expertise tasked with the formulation of a roadmap for the development of disciplinal and degree programs, as well as the review, revision and updating of policies, standards, and guidelines of programs.
RA7722, or the Higher Education Act of 1994, states that “[CHED] shall reconstitute and/or organize technical panels for different disciplines/program areas. They shall assist the Commission in setting standards and in program and institution monitoring and evaluation”.
EDCOM 2 noted that, from FY2020 to FY2023, only 15 out of the 98 Technical Panels were reconstituted. In the CHED budget hearing last year, CHED committed to fast-track the reconstitution of 83 Technical Panels.
“We would like to know – ano ba ang plano natin to reconstitute all of these Technical Panels?”, Rep. Go asked the CHED delegation.
CHED Chairman Popoy De Vera answered, “Madami na po’ng nadagdag. Ang pangako po namin, bago matapos ang taon, matatapos po namin ‘yan”.
“From 15, we have increased to 29 – plus 10 from health – binalik lang po dahil meron kaming ico-correct, so that will make it 39 [reconstituted Technical Panels]. And we can do it as fast as we can because it is also our commitment [to] EDCOM 2”, said Dr. Cherrie Melanie Ancheta-Diego, Director of CHED Office of Programs and Standards Development.
The need to reconstitute the Technical Panels is a crucial element in CHED’s quality assurance efforts for higher education programs. This is aside from mechanisms based on HEIs’ outcomes and typology.
Chairman de Vera pointed to the cumbersome process of recommending experts from the private sector and from government agencies – in addition to those from the academe – as a bottleneck in the process of reconstitution. “Ayaw naman po naming gumawa ng Technical Panel na kulang ng representation ng industry or government”, de Vera said.
“Kailangan ma-strengthen natin ‘yung mga technical panels. And if we can have alternate members, para kung hindi pwede yung iba, the others can do the work”, Go said.
“I think we need to shorten the process so that we need to immediately act on the many bills that we need to approve – actually approved into law na, but because there are still no technical panels to address the concerns and issues [of the program] hindi na-address”, he added.
Impact of researches should be measured – Go
Go also probed into the impact of research grants awarded by CHED. “How do you monitor the effectiveness of these researches, in terms of contributions to the university, to the country? Kasi marami akong nakikitang researches, pero ‘yung iba walang impact sa bansa natin”, he remarked.
“[The researchers] contribute to the publication of the faculty…For the impact to society, ‘yung extension projects po ang tinitingan diyan”, Dr. Sylvette Gunigundo of the Office of Planning, Research, and Knowledge Management of CHED, answered.
“Kailangan may measurement dito, di ba? Para makita natin yung impact ng researches. It’s not learning for learning’s sake”, he added.
Dr. Gunigundo further added that “UP Diliman is helping us capacitate those we’ve already given grants to, for technology transfer. Habang commercialization naman po ‘yung next step”. She noted that there are 52 studies that are already being mentored by the University.
“The research we do, and the government funds, should really be for the improvement of our country. ‘Kaunti na nga lang ang researches natin, tapos hindi pa masyadong relevant sa pangangailangan ng ating bansa”, Go emphasized.
