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CHED's ‘ACHIEVE' agenda aims to make higher education future-ready
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis on Wednesday outlined a sweeping reform blueprint for Philippine higher education, vowing to align university programs with industry needs, strengthen innovation, and ensure equitable access for all learners.
Speaking at the INNOTECH Seminar Series on Education, Innovation, and Technology, Agrupis said the new seven-point ACHIEVE Agenda—set for formal launch later this year—will be CHED's strategic guide from 2025 to 2030.
It is designed to respond to the persistent skills mismatch, rising graduate unemployment, and the demands of a rapidly changing workforce.
'Kung tayo ay nagpupundar ng malaki para sa infrastruktura, mas malaki pa ang ipupundar natin para sa ating mga mamamayan,' she stressed. (If we invest heavily in infrastructure, we will invest even more in our people.)
'Ito ang pangunahing pulisyan natin hanggang matapos ang administration.' (This will remain our main policy until the end of the [Marcos] administration.)
Graduate unemployment on the rise
Citing the June 2025 Labor Force Survey, Agrupis warned that unemployment among college graduates surged from 35.6% in December 2024 to 50% this year.
'This troubling increase reveals that our most educated citizens… are encountering growing difficulties in finding employment,' she said, noting that many graduates are ending up in low-skilled jobs that do not require a degree.
She pointed to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) job fair data showing that of 25,876 job seekers last January, only 3,364 were hired, with most placed in positions mismatched to their qualifications.
While the Philippines recorded a low overall unemployment rate of 3.7% in June — the lowest since December 2025—Agrupis said this 'must not make us complacent' given structural gaps between graduate skills and market needs.
ACHIEVE: A roadmap for reform
Agrupis described ACHIEVE as CHED's 'strategic blueprint' to support the Marcos administration's eight-point socioeconomic agenda. The acronym stands for:
Advanced and Accessible Lifelong Learning
Centralized One Nation Human Capital Development Plan
Harmonized SDG-based Higher Education Research and Innovation Agenda
Integrated Real-Time Data Collection and Analytics System
Expanded and Impact-Driven Internationalization Strategies
Vitalized Policies, Internal Systems, and Governance
Effective and Efficient Public Service
Through this agenda, CHED aims to integrate flexible learning programs, harmonize research with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, create a unified data portal to track learners from elementary to employment, and strengthen global competitiveness through academic mobility and international collaborations.
'ACHIEVE is more than a reform agenda,' Agrupis said. 'It is CHED's promise to shape a higher education system that transforms lives, empowers communities, and helps realize the promise of a Bagong Pilipinas.'
Innovation as the 'engine'
The CHED chief underscored that innovation will drive the transformation of higher education, noting the Philippines' climb to 53rd place in the 2024 Global Innovation Index — third among lower-middle-income countries and fifth in ASEAN.
'If we work collaboratively and break that silo, we can rise beyond the fifth place,' she said.
She cited the Philippines' milestone in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, where 113 Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) were recognized globally for their SDG contributions — the highest representation in Southeast Asia.
Agrupis said CHED is building an integrated real-time data system to standardize and consolidate information on enrollment, graduation, research output, and employability across all HEIs, enabling quicker responses to skills shortages and regional gaps.
Equity and collaboration at the core
The second pillar, equity, aims to ensure 'no Filipino learner is left behind,' regardless of location, income, or background. This includes expanding lifelong learning opportunities for both fresh graduates and adult learners, and targeting programs for underserved regions.
The third pillar, collaboration, calls for closer coordination between CHED, other government agencies, industry partners, and international institutions.
Agrupis concluded by urging education leaders and partners to work together to make higher education a force 'for equity, a force for excellence, and for national development.'
'We believe that being future-ready goes beyond integrating technology,' she said. 'It means creating a system where every Filipino learner… has access to quality, relevant, and globally competitive education… and ensures no one is left behind.'
The SEAMEO Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) is one of three SEAMEO regional centers hosted by the Government of the Philippines.
Since its establishment in 1970, INNOTECH has offered quality learning services, research and solutions development, knowledge management, as well as other enabling and support services, to effectively respond to educational needs and concerns in Southeast Asia.
Moreover, along with CHED, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Education (DepEd) are said to be working together to create a seamless pathway that will allow technical and vocational skills to be credited toward higher education programs.
Agrupis said the initiative aims to address the skills–jobs mismatch and give second chances to out-of-school youth or college dropouts by recognizing competencies gained outside traditional classrooms.
The reform will also expand opportunities under the Extended Tertiary Education Program (ETUP), which grants academic credit for years of work experience, enabling returning learners to complete degrees without repeating skills they have already mastered.
'This is how we make education truly inclusive: by valuing all forms of learning, whether acquired in school, in training centers, or in the workplace,' the CHED chief added.
