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

To further strengthen the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA) programs in the Cordillera, CHED-UniFAST CAR convened its partner Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for the Third Quarter FY 2025 Meeting on September 4, 2025, at Blossom Hall, The Orchard Hotel, Baguio City.

The program opened with the message of Dr. Bernadette C. Pal-ec, Education Supervisor II and UniFAST Focal Person, delivered through a recorded video.

Orientation on Listahanan

In the morning session, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development – CAR (DSWD-CAR) conducted an orientation on Listahanan. Under the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), students belonging to households included in the most recent Listahanan are prioritized, ranked according to their estimated per capita household income. This is in line with Executive Order No. 867, s. 2010, which directs all national government agencies to adopt the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) in identifying eligible poor households for social protection programs.

Mr. Climson L. Balangue, PDO IV, presented an overview of Listahanan, describing it as an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are. Ms. Shirley N. Claver, Stat II, shared the poverty profile of CAR, reporting that out of 275,142 assessed households, 50,956 were identified as poor. Among the provinces, Mountain Province recorded the highest percentage of poor households, followed by Abra and Apayao. Meanwhile, Mr. Norvirgo V. Mangili, ITO II, discussed the requirements for the Data Sharing Agreement.

UAQTEA Accomplishments and Updates

In the afternoon, Ms. Jezeny O. Laoyan, Lead Regional Coordinator of CHED-UniFAST CAR, presented the Regional Office’s accomplishments in UAQTEA implementation for the previous quarters and facilitated discussions on targeting for the Second Semester.

CHED-CAR Director IV, Dr. Jimmy G. Catanes, graced the meeting and expressed his gratitude to partner HEIs for their support and commitment to implementing UAQTEA programs. He encouraged institutions to strengthen alumni activities and improve beneficiary engagement to ensure effective student tracking even after graduation.

He also underscored the importance of collaboration:

“If there are matters that you cannot really do on your own, tell us, because we are your partners, we are your collaborators. Let the technical do their job in terms of regulation. But in terms of our students, we are partners. Like scholarship, grants, and other student services, we have to work together in order for our graduates to really finish on time, and for us to deliver the services that they deserve.”

The meeting concluded with the closing remarks of Ms. Delaila Irma Calindas, Regional Coordinator, who also highlighted the upcoming activities of the Regional Office for the month.

This quarterly gathering reaffirms CHED-UniFAST CAR’s commitment to work hand-in-hand with HEIs in delivering the objectives of UAQTEA and ensuring that Cordilleran students continue to benefit from accessible and equitable higher education.