The Quest for Quality and Equity in the Philippine Higher Education: Where to from Here?

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Written for the Second Congressional Commission on Education and based on existing research, this Policy Note evaluates the performance of the country's higher education sector. It concludes that while substantial gains have been achieved in the sector, critical issues persist. The findings highlight low and uneven quality of higher education institutions (HEIs), underdeveloped research and innovation systems, equity gaps that hinder access, weak financial sustainability, and unfavorable labor outcomes. To address these concerns, the authors propose the following recommendations: (1) promote complementarity between public and private HEIs, (2) address disparities in quality, (3) improve equity in access through enhanced student financing schemes, (4) enhance the financial sustainability of HEIs, (5) cultivate a research and development culture in Philippine HEIs, (6) address the underdeveloped innovation ecosystem, and (7) promote the overall employability of graduates.