REPUBLIC ACT NO.

7722
Commission of Higher
Education
CHED
 introduction
The Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) was created on May 18, 1994 t
hrough the passage of Republic Act N
o.7722,or the Higher Education Act of
1994. The CHED has been designed to
act as a collegial body in formulatin
g plans, policies and strategies rela
ting to higher education and the op
eration of CHED
 The seriousness of the present educational sy
stem as pointed out by EDCOM Report was trans
lated into the enactment of RA 7722; creating
the CHED (Commission on Higher Education), in
1995, to supervise the tertiary degree progra
ms. This change was hopefully could turn out
excellent and globally competitive graduates
who can help improve the quality of life of t
he people via skills training, technology tra
nsfer and innovative research.
Republic Act No. 7722

Republic Act No. 7722, known as theHi

gher Education Act of 1994, is a law t
hat created theCommission on Higher E
ducation(CHED), appropriating funds t
herefor and for other purposes. It pro
vides for the composition of the Commi
ssion and establishes the Higher Educa
tion Department Fund to strengthen the
higher education in thePhilippines.
SECTION 2
Declaration of Policy. The State shall prote
ct, foster and promote the right of all citizens t
o affordable quality education at all levels and s
hall take appropriate steps to ensure that educati
on shall be accessible to all. The State shall li
kewise ensure and protect academic freedom and sha
ll promote its exercise and observance for the con
tinuing intellectual growth, the advancement of le
arning and research, the development of responsibl
e and effective leadership, the education of high-
level and middle-level professionals and the enric
hment of our historical and cultural heritage
SECTION 3
Creation of the Commission on Higher Education.
In pursuance of the abovementioned policies, th
e Commission on Higher Education is hereby created
hereinafter referred to as the Commission.

The Commission shall be independent and separate f

rom the Department of Education, Culture and Sport
s (DECS), and attached to the Office of the Presid
ent for administrative purposes only. Its coverag
e shall be both public and private institutions of
higher education as well as degree-granting progra
ms in all post-secondary educational institutions,
public and private.
SECTION 4
Composition of the Commission. The Commission
shall be composed of five (5) full-time members. D
uring the transition period which begins upon appro
val of this Act, President may appoint the Secretar
y of Education, Culture and Sports as ex-officio ch
airman of the Commission for a maximum period of on
e (1) year. Thereafter, the President shall appoin
t a Chairman of the Commission and four (4) commiss
ioners, who shall be holders of earned doctorate(s)
, who have been actively engaged in higher educatio
n for at least ten (10) years, and must not have be
en candidates for elective positions in the electio
ns immediately preceding their appointment.
SECTION 5
Term of Office. The President shall app
oint the full-time chairman and the commis
sioners for a term of four (4) years, with
out prejudice to one reappointment. The t
erms of the initial appointees shall be on
a staggered basis: the full-time chairman
shall hold office for a term of four (4) y
ears, the next two (2) commissioners for t
hree (3) years, and the last two (2) commi
ssioners for two (2) years.
Section 6
Rank and Emoluments. The chairm
an and the commissioners shall hav
e the rank of a Department Secreta
ry and Undersecretary, respectivel
y. They shall receive the compens
ation and other emoluments corresp
onding to those of a Department Se
cretary and Undersecretary, respec
tively, and shall be subject to th
e same disqualifications.
SECTION 7
Board of Advisers. There shall
be constituted a Board of Advisers
which shall meet with the Commissi
on at least once a year to assist
it in aligning its policies and pl
ans with the cultural, political a
nd socioeconomic development needs
of the nation and with the demands
of world-class scholarship.
SECTION 9.
The Secretariat. The Commission shall organ
ize a secretariat which shall be headed by an
executive officer, subject to the national com
pensation and position classification plan. I
t shall fix the secretariat's staffing pattern
, determine the duties, qualifications, respon
sibilities and functions, as well as the compe
nsation scheme for the positions to be created
upon the recommendation of the executive offic
er. It shall also prepare and approve its bud
get.
SECTION 12.
The Technical Panels. The Commiss
ion shall reconstitute and/or organize
technical panels for different discipl
ines/program areas. They shall assist
the Commission in setting standards an
d in program and institution monitorin
g and evaluation. The technical panel
s shall be composed of senior speciali
sts or academicians to be appointed by
the Commission.
SECTION 16.
Authority. The Commission sha
ll exercise such authority as may
be deemed necessary within its pre
mises or areas of operation to eff
ectively carry out its powers and
functions and to attain its object
ives: provided, that the Commissio
n may seek the assistance of other
government agencies for the proper
implementation of this Act.
SECTION 17.
Appropriation. The amount of Five hundre
d million pesos (P500,000,000) is hereby aut
horized to be appropriated for the seed capi
tal of the Fund. The additional amount of F
ifty million pesos (P50,000,000) is hereby a
uthorized to be appropriated out of the fund
s in the National Treasury not otherwise app
ropriated or out of the Philippine Amusement
and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) funds for th
e initial operation of the Commission.
 SECTION 19. Repealing Clause. All laws, president
ial decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or
parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provision
s of this Act are hereby repealed or modified according
ly.

SECTION 20. Separability Clause. If any part or p

rovision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or
invalid, other provisions hereof which are not affected
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 21. Effectivity. This Act shall take effe

ct upon its approval
Per Section 8 of R.A. 7722, the CHED has t
he following powers and functions

Formulate and recommend development pl

ans, policies,priorities, and programs
on higher education;
Formulate and recommend development pl
ans, policies, priorities, and program
s on research;
Recommend to the executive and legisla
tive branches priorities and grants on
higher education and research;
Per Section 8 of R.A. 7722, the CHED has
the following powers and functions
Recommend to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the bud
gets of public institutions of higher learning as well as general
guidelines for the use of their income;

Rationalize programs and institutions of higher learning and set s

tandards, policies and guidelines for the creation of new ones as
well as the conversion or elevation of schools to institutions of
higher learning, subject to budgetary limitations and the number o
f institutions of higher learning in the province or region where
creation, conversion or elevation is sought to be made;

Develop criteria for allocating additional resources such as resea

rch and program development grants, scholarships, and the other si
milar programs: Provided, that these shall not detract from the fi
scal autonomy already enjoyed by colleges and universities;
Per Section 8 of R.A. 7722, the CHED has the f
ollowing powers and functions

Direct or redirect purposive research by in

stitutions of higher learning to meet the n
eeds of agro-industrialization and developm
ent;
Devise and implement resource development s
chemes;
Administer the Higher Education Development
Fund, as described in Section 10 of R.A. 77
22, which will promote the purposes of high
er education;
Per Section 8 of R.A. 7722, the CHED has the fo
llowing powers and functions

Review the charters of institutions of higher learning an

d state universities and colleges including the chairmans
hip and membership of their governing bodies and recommen
d appropriate measures as basis for necessary action;

Promulgate such rules and regulations and exercise such o

ther powers and functions as may be necessary to carry ou
t effectively the purpose and objectives of R.A. 7722; an
d
Perform such other functions as may be necessary for its
effective operations and for the continued enhancement, g
rowth and development of higher education.