CHED’s Licuanan, UniFAST board members sign UniFAST Law IRR

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair Patricia B. Licuanan on Friday, July 1, signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act (UniFAST), in her capacity as Chair of the seven-member UniFAST Board. Republic Act. No. 10687 was passed into law on October 15, 2015 by former President Benigno C. Aquino.

UniFAST is the unified system of government-funded scholarships, grants-in-aid, student loans, and other forms of Student Financial Assistance (StuFAPs) for students of technical/vocational, and higher education institutions (HEIs) e.g. colleges and universities.

“The signing of the IRR ushers in the full implementation of the UniFAST law -- and with it – reforms that would make the delivery and implementation of StuFAPs in the tertiary level more effective, efficient, and politically-neutral or free of political labeling,” Licuanan said.

The signatories of the IRR of the UniFAST Law were Licuanan and UniFAST co-chairs Mario G. Montejo, the former secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and Irene Isaac, Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); and Board Members Rosalinda D. Baldoz, the former secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); Br Armin A. Luistro, FSC, the former secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd); Earl Saavedra, OIC Chair of the National Youth Commission (NYC) and Emmanuel F. Esguerra, former acting director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The Commission can now operationalize a technical Secretariat that will assist the seven-member Governing Board. The Secretariat – which is attached to the CHED – is headed by an Executive Director.

In its declaration of policy, the IRR states that “the State allows its citizens full access to quality education by providing adequate funding and implementing mechanisms to increase enrollment in tertiary education, especially among poor but academically-proficient and highly motivated students.” This policy, the IRR adds, “should enable them to successfully pursue and complete tertiary education programs in quality institutions, thereby promoting equitable and rationalized access to quality tertiary education.”

“The UniFAST is effectively the country's first national instrument for human capital development which will unify and coordinate the policy formulation, programming and resource allocation, as well as targeting of clients, thereby maximizing the use of scarce public funds. It will ensure that the Philippines would develop high- and middle-level manpower needed by industries and public services,” remarked CHED Deputy Executive Director Napoleon Imperial, who is concurrently the head of the Secretariat of UniFAST.

The operations of the UniFAST Board and Secretariat is currently being financed by CHED. The Board though looks to financing from National Government beginning 2017.

Issued this 1st day of July 2016 at the Higher Education Development Center building, C.P. Garcia Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

Press release from UniFAST