THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to mobilize State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in advancing national education reforms and supporting the country’s learning recovery efforts.

The agreement was formalized during the Strategic Alignment on the Role of SUCs and AACCUP in National Learning Recovery held at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Auditorium in Diliman, Quezon City.

The event brought together representatives from 46 SUCs, CHED, the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), AACCUP, and the EDCOM 2 Technical Secretariat.

The MOA was signed by EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee and AACCUP President Dr. Anthony Penaso. The partnership supports the implementation of the National Education and Workforce Development Plan 2026–2035 under Republic Acts Nos. 11899 and 12315.

Under the agreement, SUCs will align their teacher education programs with the Department of Education’s (DepEd) ARAL Program, allowing education students to serve as literacy tutors in public schools as part of their institutions’ extension services.

Established through Republic Act No. 12028, the ARAL Program is the government’s flagship learning recovery initiative focused on improving learners’ competencies in reading, mathematics, and science.

The partnership will also expand volunteer opportunities for students taking guidance and counseling, psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology. These students may undertake internships or render National Service Training Program (NSTP) service in DepEd schools to help address bullying and mental health concerns and provide support to learners with disabilities.

In his keynote address, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson and House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chair Rep. Jude Acidre urged SUC leaders to recognize that the country’s learning crisis extends beyond basic education.

Citing DepEd literacy assessment data, Acidre said nearly half of Grade 3 learners are not reading at grade level, while proficiency rates decline significantly by senior high school.

“The nine-year-old who cannot read today will be sitting in one of your classrooms in eight years,” Acidre said. “Our universities cannot stand apart from the learning crisis.”

He emphasized that strengthening teacher education is among the country’s highest-impact reforms, noting that improvements in teacher preparation could benefit generations of Filipino learners.

Twenty-three SUC presidents, including leaders from Philippine Normal University, Bicol University, Visayas State University, Bukidnon State University, and Tarlac State University, attended the gathering, along with CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis and PASUC National President Dr. Tirso Ronquillo.

Through the newly signed MOA, EDCOM 2 and AACCUP aim to institutionalize SUC participation in literacy tutoring, development of contextualized learning materials, psychosocial support, and local government capacity-building as accredited extension work aligned with the National Education and Workforce Development Plan 2026–2035.