CHED recognizes partners in Central Luzon
CITY
OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recognized Tuesday partners in Central Luzon.
Gawad PADYAK Parangal honors higher education institutions (HEIs), professional organizations and government agencies who are models of institutional continuity, agility, resiliency and collaboration as they continue to serve their stakeholders amidst the pandemic.
“I believe that education could be made a weapon that will wipe out illiteracy as it will flatten poverty. It can be used to fight injustice as it can also be used to build bridges, foster relationships, and sustain peace. And so, let this Gawad PADYAK Parangal be an inspiration to all of us,” CHED Commissioner Ronald Adamat sai d .
He lauded the efforts of CHED Region 3 for convening a special committee to award the institutions which served as education forerunners through innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural transformation amid the limitations brought by the current health crisis.
For her part, CHED OIC-Regional Director Maria Teresita Semana pressed that the awards highlight the collective efforts of the region’s higher education sector in ensuring that the HEIs journey through the challenging period efficiently.
“Indeed, there are many reasons to celebrate as the HEI sector in Region 3 savored many victories in the past months even though we are hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. CHED recognizes the contribution of each as we pull off victory one after another. Together, let us move forward claiming more victories for the Philippine Higher Education,” she said.
Criteria in the selection of top HEIs include Institutional Continuity or how they seamlessly rolled out their academic continuity plans in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Change Agility or how rapidly they moved from in-campus learning to flexible learni ng.
“We also considered the Bayanihan or how HEIs collaborated with other HEIs including the industry, support agencies and government agencies in sharing resources, expertise and technology to ease the strain of the pandemic. We also looked for HEIs with Resiliency and Innovation or they are continually adapting and innovating to mitigate the impacts of the Covid19 pandemic,” Semana expl ai ned.
For State Universities and Colleges, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology was hailed as the best; with Bulacan State University and Tarlac State University placed at second and third spots, respectively.
Also, Tarlac Agricultural
University was presented a special award for being the only state tertiary university in the Philippines to be included in the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking 2021 by placing 601-800.
CHED Central Luzon awarded Wesleyan University Philippines – Cabanatuan City as the top private HEI, with Centro Escolar University Malolos ranking second.
Gordon College earned the top spot for local colleges, and the City College of San Fernando, Pampanga was the second placer.
Meanwhile, Pampanga Research Educators Organization (PREO) was awarded as the first place for professional organizations which contributed to CHED’s programs and projects during the pandemic; and collaborated or supported its activities and programs.
“As an advocate of research, rest assured that PREO will support the research initiatives of CHED and continue its mission of spearheading the development of Higher Education research in Pampanga and working with other scholarly organizations in the global community,” PREO President Jean Paolo Lacap said.
Philippine Association of Extension Program Implementers Region 3 got the second place, while the Development Council of State Universities and Colleges/ Center for InterInstitutional
Research and Policy Studies, and the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Region 3 were tied for third.
Lastly, National Economic and Development Authority got the top spot for government agencies with contributions in the formulation of the Central Luzon Regional Higher Education Action Plan (CLRHEAP) 2020-2022; and has full support in the implementation of Region 3 Higher Education Bayanihan and other projects.
Department of Science and Technology placed second, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology landed third.
CHED explained that these government agencies also participated as resource persons in the drafting of CLRHEAP, and in the monitoring of the readiness of HEIs in flexible learning.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11522 which declares May 18 every year as National Higher Education Day in commemoration of the founding anniversary of CHED.
It encourages government agencies and instrumentalities, local government units, public and private educational institutions, and industry associations to engage and participate towards the meaningful celebration of the special working day.