COMMISSION on Higher Education chair Prospero De Vera III clarified on Saturday that he did not order to stop the K to 12 program in state universities and colleges.

“Nagsabi ang [Department of Education na] wala nang voucher. That’s why I issued another memorandum telling the [SUC] presidents, ‘Go to your boards now because there is no more voucher. There is no more legal basis for you to have Senior High,” De Vera said.

Earlier, CHED reiterated its decision to discontinue the Senior High School program in state and local universities and colleges.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education earlier said it would be executing a Memorandum of Agreement with the CHED to formalize the arrangement on the extended SHS voucher program.

“DepEd decided to continue the voucher program for [Grade] 11 and 12, so meron nang pagkukunan ng pera,” De Vera explained.

“‘Yung ibang SUCs even before the announcement of DepEd already said, ‘We will use our own money para mapag-graduate ‘yung mga bata kasi tinanggap na namin sila,” he added.