The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is strengthening support for local colleges to offer programs responsive to community needs, prepare students for employment, and expand learning opportunities closer to home under its ACHIEVE Agenda 2030.

More than 170 local college presidents, administrators, and representatives from Visayas and Mindanao gathered for the first day of the Local Colleges (LC) Visioning Summit on October 19, 2026, at the University of the Philippines Cebu.

In her opening keynote, CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis emphasized the importance of helping local colleges define their strategic direction and align their curricula with the needs of the communities they serve.

Chairperson Agrupis said, “Through initiatives such as LCLEAD, we hope to support local colleges in defining their strategic direction, strengthening their institutional foundations, and building partnerships that will sustain their growth.”

The effort supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ‘s call for every Filipino family to have a college or technical-vocational graduate by bringing quality education closer to communities.

By aligning academic programs with local workforce needs, colleges can better prepare students for employment while helping address the demand for professionals and skilled workers in local businesses and public services.

Realistic interventions

CHED Commissioner Michelle Aguilar Ong, drawing from her own experience leading a local college, emphasized the need for higher education policies to reflect the distinct realities and needs of these institutions.

Commissioner Ong said during the plenary dialogue, “That is our direction. Fitting the policy to the realities of local colleges… Let’s embrace who we are. Let’s embrace our identity.” 

Established by local government units, local colleges operate with varying resources and serve different community needs. These differences can inform policies that help strengthen their programs while upholding quality standards.

The summit also brought international perspectives on how local colleges can better serve their communities. 

Plenary speaker Dr. Vilma Fuentes of Florida State University emphasized open access, lifelong learning, and programs responsive to industry needs, while Dr. Misaki Takabayashi, Chancellor of Kapiʻolani Community College in Hawaii, stressed that education should lead to meaningful employment and wages that enable graduates to support themselves.

The summit forms part of CHED’s Higher Education Upskilling and Study for Advancement of Staff and Faculty (HUSAY) Program through the LCLEAD (Local Colleges for Lifelong Education, Access and Development) initiative. 

Implemented by the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) in partnership with the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP NCPAG), LCLEAD aims to transform local colleges into community-focused and industry-aligned institutions through visioning summits, microcredential courses, and a national leadership conference. 

The summit continues on October 20 at the UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. Local college presidents are welcome to participate, even without prior registration. (PR)