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MANILA, Philippines — The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) yesterday raised serious concerns over reports that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) would issue a “blanket denial” on all pending petitions for tuition increases filed by private colleges and universities.
“A blanket hike prohibition can end up hurting the very students it aims to protect,” COCOPEA said in a statement.
The group warned that such a move would limit the flexibility of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) to respond to rising costs, potentially leading to personnel and faculty layoffs, program disruptions, quality declines or even school closures.
“Since PHEIs rely largely on tuition and fees, the pending tuition adjustments are primarily a compensation issue, with 70 percent of the proceeds automatically allocated to personnel salaries and benefits, as required by CHED regulations,” it said.
While acknowledging the need to ease the burden on students and families, the group cautioned against sweeping policies.
“Policy must still be fair and workable… well-meaning government action must be carefully designed so it does not create new problems for PHEIs and students in the long term,” it added.
COCOPEA urged CHED to adopt a calibrated, case-by-case approach instead of a one-size-fits-all policy, noting that a blanket denial also raises legal and constitutional concerns.
“The tuition increase applications were filed based on the realities existing at the time of submission: rising operating expenses, institutional needs and reasonable projections for sustaining school operations… To reject them solely because of later developments in the global energy market is to apply a standard retroactively and unfairly,” it said.
The group emphasized that private higher education plays a vital and complementary role in the country.
“Constitutional complementarity requires fairness between public and private providers of higher education. If public HEIs are given higher government allocations to absorb inflation and rising costs, private HEIs should also be supported through fiscal measures that enable them to address these costs,” it said.
“But by unilaterally banning tuition hikes, the government is unfairly forcing PHEIs to absorb all costs while favoring public higher education institutions, in clear violation of the constitutional mandate of complementarity in education,” the group added.
Amid the debate, youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) urged education authorities and local governments to take broader action to ensure accessible and quality education.
SPARK said CHED should also address issues affecting students in state universities and local colleges, including the continuity of in-person classes.
It also called on the agency to coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Energy to provide subsidies for power costs in public higher education institutions.
The group cited power interruptions in campuses, including the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila, which disrupted classes during periods of extreme heat.
SPARK also urged local government units to expand student assistance programs as living costs rise, and called on CHED to closely monitor the performance of higher education institutions following the shift to online learning.
Better or burden?
As higher education policies are debated, the Department of Education (DepEd) is moving forward with reforms in basic education ahead of school year 2026-2027.
In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara assured the public that the reforms are designed to improve how time is structured for teaching and learning.
“The objective is to ensure that learning is delivered in a more organized and consistent manner throughout the school year,” Angara said.
The shift from a four-quarter structure to a three-term school calendar aims to address class disruptions and improve continuity of learning.
Under the program, the school year will be divided into three structured terms, beginning with an Opening Block for learner profiling and readiness, followed by an Instructional Block and an End-of-Term Block for interventions and consolidation.
DepEd said the new structure would ensure more consistent teaching time, provide dedicated support periods for learners and streamline school activities, while scheduled breaks would allow teachers time for lesson planning and assessment.
However, even as these reforms aim to improve learning outcomes, teachers’ groups warned that new programs may come with added burdens on the ground.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) raised concerns that DepEd’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program and summer remediation programs would add to teachers’ workload.
In a statement, ACT pointed out that during budget deliberations, DepEd had indicated that tutors would handle the ARAL program.
However, a recently issued order now includes DepEd teachers among ARAL tutors and directs school heads to tap “master teachers” and highly proficient educators for remediation sessions.
The group also pointed out that orientation and capacity-building activities for tutors were scheduled only days before implementation.
“Tutors do not deserve measly incentives limited to vacation service credits, certificates of appreciation and other items subject to available funds. These are unacceptable compensation for such a challenging service. Tutors deserve just and decent pay, including proper overload and overtime rates,” ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said.
Under the program, tutors are expected to handle multiple responsibilities, including delivering differentiated instruction for diverse learning needs, managing at least 10 learners per session and conducting home-based learning every Friday.
The alliance called for the full utilization of the program’s budget to ensure adequate pay, benefits and support for both tutors and learners.
“ARAL is meant to close learning gaps. But without sufficient funding and serious support, it risks becoming another underpowered intervention that barely scratches the surface. We pushed for sufficient allocation for its implementation, with P8.96 billion earmarked for the hiring of tutors and other needs. But the guidelines do not clearly reflect how the funds will be utilized and maximized for tutors and learners,” Bernardo said. — Mark Ernest Villeza
