Article By Lovely Rose Bolante
ILOILO CITY, PHILIPPINES—The third leg of the Unified College Admission Form (UCAF) Regional Roll-Out under the CHED initiative, “Paglaum kag Pagdaug,” was conducted on May 5-6, 2025, at Sotogrande Hotel, Jaro, Iloilo City. Previously held in Tacloban City (Region VIII) and La Union (Region I), the two-day roll-out brought together key stakeholders and admission officers from multiple State Universities and Colleges (SUC).
The event was actively participated in by representatives from Aklan State University, Central Philippines State University, Capiz State University, Guimaras State University, Iloilo Science and Technology University, Northern Iloilo State University, University of Antique, and Western Visayas State University. Also in attendance were delegates from Siquijor State College, Davao del Sur State College, Negros Oriental State University, Southern Luzon State University, Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology, Western Philippines State University, State University of Northern Negros, and Carlos Hilado Memorial State University.
Warm acknowledgments were extended to all participants by a welcome talk from Dr. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr., CESO III, CHEDRO6 Regional Director, and a message from Dir. Mary Sylvette T. Gunigundo, Director of CHED’s Office of Planning, Research, and Knowledge Management (OPKRM), who emphasized the importance of standardizing college admission processes to ensure equity across SUCs.
Project Leader Dr. Sherrie Ann C. Labid, duly represented by Project Support Staff Ms. May A. Cabaning, presented the overview and objectives of the activity, emphasizing the importance of the UCAF in identifying and supporting Equity Target Students (ETS). The first day of the activity included the presentation of the project’s admission-related findings, proposed admission requirements, policies, and processes, and proposed unified college admission form, delivered by Prof. Kenneth G. Bayani.
In the afternoon, Mr. Carl Justin Arriaga from DMMMSU provided a system walkthrough and demonstration of the platform, focusing on both administrator and user interfaces. This was followed by a workshop on user registration and data entry, and an open forum to answer the frequently asked questions moderated by Prof. Marcos E. Monderin of USM.
The second day featured the participants’ presentations of outputs and feedback. This allowed SUCs to share their insights on system usability and localized implementation strategies. The program concluded with a closing remark from Dir. Gunigundo, where he reaffirmed CHED’s commitment to accessible, inclusive, and data-driven higher education.
With the Region VI roll-out completed, preparations are now underway for the fourth and final leg in Region XII, culminating the national launch of the UCAF platform.