Article By Lovely Rose A. Bolante (Project Technical Staff)
PHILIPPINES — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in collaboration with the project team from Samar State University (SSU), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), and the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), held a dissemination forum under the CHED-funded initiative Paglaum kag Pagdaug’s “Empowering Equity Target Students – Enhancing Access and Success in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) across Regions I, VIII, and XII, Philippines” on April 10, 2025 via Zoom Web Conferencing.
Led by the project leaders Prof. Sherrie Ann C. Labid (SSU), Prof. Kenneth G. Bayani (DMMMSU), and Prof. Marcos F. Monderin (USM), the forum presented key research findings and actionable recommendations on improving student admissions in SUCs.
The event was attended by 90 participants including SUC Presidents, institutional representatives, admission officers, and key officials from 54 participating SUCs who earlier pledged their support to the initiative during the Paglaum kag Pagdaug national research launch last February 12, 2024. The activity highlighted the outcomes of the admission phase of the study, shedding light on policies, systems, and practices that impact the accessibility and success of equity target students (ETS).
One of the major highlights of the event was the soft launch of the Unified College Admission System (UCAS), a digital innovation developed as a direct outgrowth of the research project’s findings. UCAS aims to standardize and streamline the college application process across SUCs, while embedding features that enable institutions to proactively identify ETS applicants. A core and groundbreaking feature of UCAS is its Equity Target Student Identifier, a tool designed to flag applicants with potential vulnerabilities upon initial registration. This will enable SUCs to offer targeted interventions early in the admission process, helping to close gaps in access and ensuring that the promise of free and inclusive tertiary education under RA 10931 is more equitably realized.
To officially roll out UCAS, the project team, in close coordination with CHED Central Office, will conduct simultaneous face-to-face workshops cum orientation sessions with designated focal persons from the 54 SUCs across the country. These activities aim to ensure that all participating institutions are capacitated to adopt and implement the system effectively, ahead of the next admission cycle.
The forum concluded with a renewed commitment among the SUCs to institutionalize data-driven admission systems that are inclusive, responsive, and aligned with CHED’s equity agenda. The UCAS innovation is expected to not only streamline administrative processes but also to serve as a powerful policy tool in targeting interventions and ensuring that no student is left behind.
As echoed by project leaders and CHED officials, this marks a transformative step forward in democratizing higher education—one that harnesses research, technology, and institutional collaboration to truly empower the underserved.