THE House Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE), chaired by Rep. Jude A. Acidre, opened the 20th Congress on Monday with its organizational and first regular meeting, launching an ambitious reform agenda for the country’s higher and technical education system.
With 69 members and more than 300 measures already referred, the CHTE is among the largest and busiest panels in the House. Acidre stressed that its work will have nationwide impact, shaping opportunities for students, educators, and institutions alike, from state universities and local colleges to private HEIs and TESDA programs.
In his address, Acidre laid out a 10-point agenda, anchored on modernizing the CHED Charter, expanding access and equity, embracing digital transformation, strengthening quality assurance, advancing lifelong learning, mainstreaming work-integrated learning, modernizing TESDA, investing in faculty and research, promoting public-private complementarity, and championing student welfare.
The committee also began deliberations on its first set of bills, including the establishment of new colleges of medicine in state universities, the integration of financial literacy in technical-vocational programs, and amendments to university charters to strengthen governance and inclusivity.
Acidre, who also serves as co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), said the commission will meet within the week to align reforms across both basic and higher education.
“So let us begin this Congress with energy and unity,” Acidre said. “Let us build a higher and technical education system that is inclusive, innovative, and truly responsive to the needs of our people,” he concluded.
