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Reforming the Philippines' Higher Education Body

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (19 February 2002) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$500,000 technical assistance grant to strengthen the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The assistance will involve improving CHED's operating systems, developing strategies to deal effectively with clients and other agencies, and targeting human resource development (HRD). The restructuring and capacity building is expected to improve CHED's ability to reform the higher education system.

A performance analysis will examine CHED's performance against its performance standards. The outputs expected from the project are:

• A set of performance standards and monitoring mechanisms for CHED, covering its central and regional offices
• A more effective and efficient organizational structure that can absorb new responsibilities
• A rationalized staffing pattern with more professional staff positions and an early retirement program
• New manuals of procedures decentralizing authority to lower levels in the system
• A 5-year Human Resource Development program
• Increased staff capacity in areas critical to the success of the reforms
• More effective advocacy for reform.

In the 1970s, the Philippines was a leading education center in Asia, but the quality of education at all levels has declined significantly in recent decades. Recent surveys ranked the country's premier university, the University of the Philippines, 44th out of 80 top-ranking universities in Asia. Average passing rates in the annual examinations are around 45%.

"Reform is urgently needed to address the low quality and pervasive inefficiency in higher education so that the Philippines can regain its status as one of Asia's leading education centers and remain competitive in a globalized world," says ADB Education Specialist Wendy Duncan.

The total cost of the project is estimated at US$770,000 equivalent, with the Government shouldering the balance of US$270,000. The project, to be implemented by CHED, is due for completion by November 2003.

More at adb.org/media

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