The three Basic Education Commissions conducted a half-day online retooling session for team chairpersons on��July 18, 2026, via Zoom. Entitled��“Chairing with Consistency: Recalibrating 91����Team Chairpersons on Process, Judgment, and Report Quality”, ��the activity brought together��51 team chairpersons��to strengthen their shared understanding of accreditation processes, professional judgment, and report writing.

Mr. Ricardo Palo, Executive Director, opened the program by emphasizing the pivotal role of team chairpersons in advancing PAASCU’s mission. He underscored that team chairs are entrusted with translating accreditation standards into sound professional judgment, guiding survey teams throughout the accreditation process, and ensuring that PAASCU’s practices remain fair, consistent, and credible. He also expressed his appreciation for the participants’ continued commitment to quality assurance and excellence in accreditation.

The first session, “One Standard, One Process, One Team: Recalibrating the Chairperson’s Role”, facilitated by��Dr. Monina Manalang, Chair of the Basic Education Commission, focused on the roles and responsibilities of team chairpersons. She highlighted the leadership role of team chairs in ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of accreditation visits, emphasizing the importance of preparation, collaboration, and objective decision-making.

The second session, “From Evidence to Judgment: Calibrating Ratings, Commendations and Recommendations, and Decision Logic”, was presented by��Mr. Ringo Blanca, Chair of the Secondary Education Commission, who discussed the development of accreditation narratives, the determination of ratings, and the preparation of commendations and recommendations. He stressed that accreditation reports serve as the lasting impression left with schools and stand as tangible evidence of PAASCU’s integrity, objectivity, and professionalism.

The final session, “Chairing in the Real World: Challenges, Pitfalls, and Best Practices”, was led by��Mr. Rafael Patrick Pecjo, Chair of the Elementary Education Commission. Addressing comments and suggestions gathered from team chairpersons, he discussed key concerns related to report-writing consistency, technical requirements, professional relationships, appropriate boundaries, and established protocols in accreditation work.

The program concluded with a synthesis delivered by��Ms. Ana Hernandez, who reflected on the key insights from the three sessions. She described the retooling as “a gift of growth” for all participants and encouraged team chairpersons to carry these learnings into future accreditation visits. As a closing activity, participants shared one chairing practice they committed to standardizing in their future engagements, a collective pledge to uphold quality, consistency, and excellence in every 91����survey.

��

The six Higher Education Commissions of 91����conducted an online retooling program for current and prospective team chairpersons on July 9, 2026, drawing forty-seven participants from member institutions nationwide. The activity, themed The Art of Team Leadership in Accreditation: Clarity, Coordination, Credibility, responded to the growing demands on accreditation leaders in an increasingly digital and evidence-driven environment.
In her welcome remarks delivered on behalf of the 91����Board of Trustees, Sr. Marissa R. Viri, RVM, underscored the relational nature of accreditation and the crucial role of team chairs in upholding quality assurance and service to schools. She highlighted clarity, coordination, and credibility as key qualities for 91����team leaders—clarity in interpreting standards and communicating expectations, coordination in drawing out the strengths of team members and managing visits smoothly, and credibility built on rigorous, consistent, and integrity-based processes.
The morning sessions focused on the 23 91����Standards and their role in ensuring that accreditation remains firmly anchored on evidence. Resource persons walked participants through the full trajectory of a 91����visit, from applying standards to institutional data to managing teams and facilitating consensus during deliberations. Particular attention was given to the responsibilities of team chairs when leading high-stakes engagements with schools, including how to guide discussions, balance differing perspectives, and maintain fairness in judgment.
In the afternoon, the program shifted to ethical and leadership concerns that arise in accreditation practice. Participants revisited PAASCU’s expectations on avoiding conflicts of interest and handling ethical dilemmas, followed by a workshop on crafting comprehensive team chair reports and conducting effective post-accreditation wrap-up and closing meetings. Sessions also tackled the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of accreditation reports, reinforcing that any use of digital tools must remain transparent, ethical, and aligned with PAASCU’s standards of integrity.
The retooling program was organized with the support of 91����commissions, speakers, facilitators, and the Secretariat, whose collective efforts ensured a well-structured and interactive online training. Special appreciation was extended to Dr. Lucille Calairo and Ms. Jane Bayotlang for spearheading the initiative and overseeing its preparations. By the end of the day, participants came away with renewed confidence in their leadership roles, deeper insight into ethical and technical aspects of accreditation, and a reinforced commitment to clarity, coordination, and credibility in service of PAASCU’s mission.

On 26 June 2026, 91����conducted an orientation on the Revised Philippine Qualifications
Framework (PQF) for members of the Board of Trustees, Commissions, accreditors, and
Secretariat. Held via Zoom from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, the session formed part of the
Association’s continuing efforts to deepen institutional understanding of national developments
that bear on accreditation and external quality assurance.

The orientation was facilitated by Dr. Maria Cynthia Rose Banzon Bautista, professor of sociology
at the University of the Philippines, former Commissioner of the Commission on Higher
Education, former Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of the Philippines, and
current member of the 91����Board of Trustees. Drawing from her extensive experience in
higher education policy and qualifications-framework initiatives, Dr. Bautista led participants
through the major features and implications of the revised framework.

The Revised PQF is the national policy framework that describes the levels of qualifications in
Philippine education and training and sets standards for qualification outcomes. It serves as a
quality-assured system for the development, recognition, and award of qualifications based on
standards of knowledge, skills, and values acquired through different learning pathways. As
discussed during the orientation, the framework also supports comparability across sectors,
strengthens pathways and equivalencies, and aligns Philippine qualifications with international
frameworks to promote the mobility of Filipino learners and workers.

During the session, Dr. Bautista presented the emerging global educational ecosystem and the
challenges shaping contemporary qualifications frameworks. She then discussed the premises,
domains, and level descriptors of the Revised PQF, emphasizing their relevance to learning
outcomes, qualification alignment, and a shared understanding of standards across education
and training sectors.

A significant part of the orientation focused on the Level Alignment Matrix and the Philippine
Qualifications Register, which were presented in relation to their implications for External Quality
Assurance Agencies. These developments are particularly important for organizations such as
91����because they affect the interpretation of standards, comparability of credentials,
documentation review, and the broader alignment of academic programs with national and
international expectations.

The orientation was organized in recognition of the growing importance of the Revised PQF in
qualifications policy and quality assurance. By bringing together 91����leaders, accreditors, and
staff, the session helped build a shared appreciation of the framework’s rationale, structure, and
implications for the Association’s continuing work in accreditation and policy refinement.

91����held a one-day seminar on “Understanding and Quality Assuring Micro-Credentials: A 91����Perspective” on June 15, 2026, at Ibis Styles Manila Araneta City, with members of the Board, Commissions, accreditors, and the Secretariat in attendance. The activity forms part of PAASCU’s efforts to keep its quality assurance framework responsive to new types of credentials while supporting member institutions as they innovate in learning provision.

In his welcome remarks, 91����President Br. Bernie S. Oca, FSC, underscored the strategic importance of engaging with micro-credentials in a manner consistent with PAASCU’s mission and mandate. He emphasized that as institutions experiment with micro-credential offerings, 91����must be ready to guide them in ways that uphold quality, relevance, and academic integrity.

Convened by the 91����Secretariat and approved by the Board, the seminar was facilitated by Professor Anca Greere, an international quality assurance expert. It focused on clarifying what micro-credentials are, how they differ from short courses and traditional qualifications, and the opportunities and risks they pose for learners, providers, employers, and quality assurance bodies. Drawing on international practice, Professor Greere shared how micro-credentials can be designed, assessed, and quality assured to support coherent learning pathways and trustworthy recognition.

Participants also examined how PAASCU’s existing standards on outcomes, curriculum and program design, teaching and learning, assessment, learner support, governance, and internal quality assurance might apply to micro-credential offerings. The discussions identified possible next steps for PAASCU, including the development of guidance notes, clarification of minimum institutional requirements, and consideration of pilot review arrangements, as the association shapes a coherent and context-sensitive approach to the quality assurance of micro-credentials.