HOUSE Assistant Minority Leader and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co on Thursday welcomed the suspension of the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) proposed General Education (GE) reforms, stressing that education should prioritize the needs of Filipinos rather than the demands of the labor market.

Co criticized the proposed reforms for allegedly promoting an “industry-ready” curriculum that she said would primarily produce graduates tailored to business and corporate interests.

She described the overhaul as a “deceptive” measure disguised as modernization, arguing that it would turn Filipino youth into a source of cheap labor for corporations instead of developing critical, socially aware, and patriotic citizens.

The lawmaker emphasized that students should not be treated as “machines” designed for factories or call centers of foreign companies. Instead, she said, education must be grounded in Philippine history, society, and human rights.

For Co, education should function as a tool for social transformation rather than an instrument of exploitation.

She also linked the proposed reforms to what she described as a broader neoliberal framework in education policy, allegedly influenced by foreign financial institutions and transnational corporations seeking a steady supply of low-cost labor from the Philippines.

While welcoming the suspension, Co said the move should not be temporary and urged CHED to fully abandon what she called a market-driven approach to curriculum reform.

“The suspension of GE reforms is merely a delay. Until these proposals are permanently scrapped, the youth and students will continue their fight for genuine and quality education,” Co saiid.