THE deadline given by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) to comply with the requirement that its President, Emmanuel Leyco,
should possess a doctorate degree to get Institutional Recognition (IR) and subsequently avail of government subsidy amounting to P350 million has lapsed.
CHED Resolution 285-2023, reached at the 603rd regular commission en banc meeting held on May 30, 2023, states that before the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTE) of 2017, the PLM was categorized as one of the local universities and colleges (LUCs) eligible to avail of the benefits of the Free Higher Education component of the UAQTE.
The resolution said PLM is not exempted from CHED’s determination of quality tertiary institutions that will be beneficiaries of the said program and that in June 2018, all LUCs included in the program were asked to comply with both IR and 100 percent certificate of program compliance within two years to continue getting such benefits.
It also said that one of the requirements to get IR is that “the President shall hold an appropriate doctorate degree” and that LUCs that failed to comply with the earned doctorate degree requirement for the President were delisted and confirmed by the UniFAST governing board in its September 2022 board meeting.
“Based on the records of CHEd-NCR, the current President of PLM has no earned doctorate degree, which is a requirement under existing CHED rules and regulations in order for a LUC to be granted Institutional Recognition,” the resolution further said.
It also resolved that “upon discussion and agreement… the Commission … directs PLM to comply within 15 days from receipt of this decision, with a sanction that it will be recommended to the UniFAST Governing Board for delistment from the list of beneficiaries…”
The resolution dated May 30, 2023, was signed by CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III and Commissioners Ronald Adamat, Aldrin Darilag, Marita Canapi and Jo Libre.
PLM received a copy of the resolution on August 15, 2023.
It can be recalled that the Civil Service Commission has twice invalidated Leyco’s appointment also for failure to meet the education requirement for the position of PLM president.
Signed by CSC chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala and CSC Commissioner Atty. Aileen Lourdes Lizada, the decision dismissed the petition for review filed by Leyco.
It also affirmed the letter-decision issued February 13, 2020 by the CSC-National Capital Region (NCR) invalidating Leyco’s appointment because of his failure to meet the education requirement of the position.
Leyco filed a petition for review which CSC has turned down.
In its ruling, the CSC said it applied the Qualification Standards (QS) provided under the 1997 Revised Qualification Standards Manual, pointing out that the qualifications required of a state university president are: an appropriate doctoral degree and five years experience in a position involving management and supervision. Both were not met by Leyco.
CHED had categorized the PLM as a local university and thus covered by those standards.
Apart from having a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) or Ed.D. (Doctor of Education), the said position also requires “administrative and academic experience” or experience as a dean, vice president, or chancellor of a university.
Another requirement is “proven track record” as a college or university administrator. He could also be a former President, Vice-President, Dean, Campus Administrator or Academic Director who directly reports to the President or Vice President of the institution where he served.
In light of all these and most especially the fact that PLM stands to lose a staggering P350 million which could directly benefit its students in so many ways just because its President is unqualified under CHED rules, a recent post by the PLM Supreme Student Council (PLM-SSC) has stated that Leyco, “keeps insisting that his position isn’t the main issue here. He (Leyco) added that if CHED pays their (sic) debts to PLM, he will resign as PLM President.” Debts? Really? CHED owes PLM?
If it is true that Leyco had stated this, I find it very, vey ludicrous.
Clearly, the non-release of the CHED funds to PLM is anchored on Leyco’s continued stay.
Easily, the solution is for him to step down so that the city can appoint a President who is qualified and it is only then that CHED will likely release the said funds to PLM.
If indeed Leyco had said that he would resign if the subject funds (I don’t know how these can be described as ‘debts’) were given to PLM, what difference would it make if he resigned now so that the CHED funds could already come in? Is he in denial that his being non-qualified is the main reason why the funds are not being given to PLM?
I hope Leyco will be decent enough to set aside personal interests and put the welfare of the PLM and its thousands of students first instead.
Otherwise, he is precisely what he claims not to be: “kapit-tuko!”
Yuck!
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