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LOOK | The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) was invited to participate in a crucial bicameral conference committee hearing by the Senate and House of Representatives in the Senate Building last December 4, 2023, on the “No Permit, No Exam” Prohibition Bill, which marked a significant step in addressing concerns about the legislation’s potential impact on private education in the Philippines. The meeting was attended by prominent figures from the Senate and key House committee members, and the COCOPEA delegation expressed satisfaction with the balanced focus on student welfare and private educational institutions’ sustainability. The revised consolidated bill presented during the hearing was met with general acceptance, signaling hope for private education in the country.
Private schools, including members of COCOPEA, have raised concerns about the proposed “No Permit, No Exam” Prohibition Act, stating that it could force many private schools to close and compromise their financial viability. They have emphasized the need to consider the impact on the private education sector and the welfare of students facing financial challenges.
The COCOPEA delegation was led by Fr. Albert N. Delvo, CEAP president and COCOPEA chairperson, Dr. Vincent Fabella of Member the PACU Board, Fr. Jun Innocencio, president of UNITEVIT, Atty. Kc Manaog of Legal Counsel of COCOPEA, Joyce Samaniego of PACU, and Prof. Vicente Antonio V. Pijano III, president of DACUN and APSCUR-XI.
COCOPEA, the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations, is the unifying voice of the private education sector in the Philippines, composed of various organizations, including the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities (ACSCU), and the Unified Technical and Vocational Education and Training of the Philippines Inc.
(UNITEVIT). Prof. Vicente Antonio V. Pijano III, the Chancellor and COO of Philippine Women’s College of Davao (PWC), was invited to represent the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and schools from the Davao Region and Mindanao during the bicameral conference. Prof. Pijano III is also the President of the Association of Private and State Colleges and Universities of Region XI (APSCUR-XI) and the Davao Colleges and Universities Network Inc. (DACUN).