President Benigno S. Aquino III led the officers and employees of the Commission on Higher Education in commemorating its 18th Year Founding Anniversary in ceremonies held at the CHED headquarters in Diliman, Quezon City on Thursday.

Joining the President were CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Senator Edgardo Angara and Representative Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora province.

The President also witnessed the ceremonial signing of a Manifesto by representatives of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) led by its president, Ricardo Rotoras signifying their commitment and promised the reforms proposed in the Roadmap of Public Higher Education Reform 2011-2016.

The Public Higher Education Reform Roadmap has nine proposals aimed at improving the efficacy of how SUCs are run. These are: 1) rationalizing the number, distribution and growth of public higher education institutions; 2) rationalizing program offerings; 3) rationalizing resource utilization, maximizing resource generation and improving financial management; 4) strengthening quality assurance;

5) upgrading qualifications of faculty; 6) upgrading leading SUCs to international standards; 7) modernizing facilities of developing SUCs; 8) strengthening student financial assistance programs; and 9) strengthening public higher education management through an Executive Development Program.

The PASUC, which is composed of 110 SUCs in the Philippines, promised to vigorously pursue these reforms and perform such with utmost honesty, integrity and ethical leadership.

President Aquino lauded members and representatives of the PASUC, saying their manifesto was another step towards the straight path of progress and beyond an antiquated educational system.

He said this manifesto further strengthens the Philippine educational system to give its students the chance to improve their lives.

“Nasaksihan po natin ang paglagda ng mga pinuno ng State Universities and Colleges sa isang kasunduan para sa mga reporma sa Public Higher Education. Isa itong hakbang pasulong sa tuwid na landas, nang di nagpapakahon sa dikta ng nagisnang sistema (We have witnessed the signing of the reform for Public Higher Education by the head of State Universities and Colleges. This is a step towards achieving the straight and righteous path, which does not follow the dictates of the old, established system),” the President said.

“Sa pagdiriwang ng inyong ika-labingwalong anibersaryo, hindi lang natin pinapagtibay ang ipinunla nating pundasyon sa edukasyon, dinudugtungan pa natin ito ng bloke-blokeng pagsisikap upang tuparin ang mas matatayog nating pangarap. Sa ating agenda ng pagbabago, tinukoy po natin ang problema, at umaksyon tayo tungo sa pangmatagalang solusyon (In the celebration of your eighteenth anniversary, we are not only strengthening the foundation of education, but also increasing efforts to attain higher aspirations. In our agenda to change, we identify the problem, and provide long-term solutions),” he added.