By: Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II

Bringing together key partners in student financial assistance, the Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR) UniFAST Unit convened its First Quarter Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Coordination Meeting with partner higher education institutions (HEIs) on March 24, 2026, at The Orchard Hotel, Baguio City. The quarterly meeting is a regular gathering of the Unit which aims to assess program implementation, review accomplishments and challenges, strengthen coordination with partner HEIs, and set strategic directions to further enhance the delivery of UniFAST programs in the region.

The meeting formally opened with an inspiring message from CHED-CAR Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Regional Director Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon. In his address, Dr. Ngohayon underscored the significant portion of the national budget allocated to education, particularly programs intended to benefit marginalized and underserved sectors. He emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships with HEIs in advocating and promoting government programs to ensure that accurate information is widely disseminated and that all intended beneficiaries are reached.

He further described the UniFAST focal persons and partner HEIs as the “front soldiers” of the Commission, serving as the frontline implementers and key partners of CHED-UniFAST in translating government policies into concrete support for students across the region.

This was followed by the Statement of Purpose delivered by Dr. Bernadette C. Pal-ec, Education Supervisor II and Head of the CHED-CAR UniFAST Unit. Dr. Pal-ec highlighted that the meeting served as an avenue to review the accomplishments of the regional office for the past year and the current quarter, as well as to set targets and strategic directions for the succeeding quarters of FY 2026.

Subsequently, Ms. Jezeny O. Laoyan, Lead Regional Coordinator of the UniFAST Unit, presented the status of UniFAST implementation in the Cordillera region, along with the 2026 monitoring schedules and key focus areas. She shared that the Unit is set to conduct one-on-one monitoring meetings with partner HEIs to review institutional performance, validate compliance, and address operational issues and concerns.

A ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the implementation of the UAQTEA Time Program on Radio Kabinnulig of Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology (ASIST) followed. Representing ASIST was Dr. Janelyn Talingdan, UniFAST Focal Person of the institution. The signing marked another milestone in strengthening advocacy and information dissemination initiatives under the UAQTEA program.

An open forum was then conducted, providing HEI representatives the opportunity to raise pressing concerns and clarify implementation issues. Among the topics discussed were the partnership between CHED-UniFAST and Land Bank of the Philippines, including guidelines and target timelines for implementation.

Ms. Sharon A. Buyya, Accountant of the UniFAST Unit, also presented updates on the liquidation status, emphasizing compliance with financial reporting requirements.

In the afternoon, a workshop on target-setting aligned with the ASSIST Agenda was facilitated by Ms. Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II of the UniFAST Unit. She introduced the ASSIST Agenda, the framework that outlines the strategic direction of UniFAST under the leadership of OIC Executive Director Atty. Septon A. De La Cruz. The agenda is anchored on six pillars which collectively guide program implementation and stakeholder engagement.

Participants were grouped according to the six pillars of the ASSIST Agenda. Each group developed a goal ladder corresponding to their assigned pillar and later presented their outputs, demonstrating shared commitment to strengthening UniFAST implementation in the region.

Dr. Pal-ec provided the synthesis and wrap-up of the workshop, affirming the importance of collaborative planning and unified direction among CHED-CAR and partner HEIs.

The meeting concluded with a message of thanks and appreciation from Ms. Menzie O. Kuengan, Supervising Education Program Specialist. She expressed gratitude to the participants for their active engagement and reiterated the call for continued support and cooperation in further strengthening the implementation of programs under the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UAQTEA).