President Marcos Signs ETEEAP IRR: What It Means for Every Filipino Without a Degree

For millions of Filipinos who built careers without finishing a college degree, May 2025 marked a turning point. In a formal ceremony at Malacañang, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Shirley Ybañez-Gaupo presented the signed Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the ETEEAP Act to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. It was not just a bureaucratic handover. It was the moment a long-promised second chance became a national policy with teeth.

The law in question is Republic Act No. 12124, which institutionalized the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program. For decades, ETEEAP existed as an executive order, generous in spirit but limited in reach. The passage of RA 12124 and the signing of its IRR transforms the program into a permanent pillar of the Philippine education system, complete with dedicated funding and modernized guidelines.

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What President Marcos Said at the Signing

In his remarks at the ceremony, President Marcos did not just congratulate CHED. He spoke from conviction. His first word upon reviewing the program, he shared, was “Finally.”

“Learning is not confined to the classroom,” the President said. “Often the most important lessons are learned in the workplace, on shop floors, helping run a family business. Each experience in life carries a lesson.”

He described the law as a reaffirmation of a crucial principle: that experience holds equal value to formal education, and that Filipinos deserve recognition for the skills they have developed regardless of whether they sat in a lecture hall to acquire them.

The President was particularly direct about who the law was created to serve. He named caregivers, mechanics, technicians, and entrepreneurs as people who have long demonstrated their competence but who had no formal way to have that competence certified. He framed the degree not just as a piece of paper but as a gateway to higher positions, better income, and broader professional opportunities.

“This law gives our fellows who are not able to finish college a second chance,” he said. “Beyond saving on tuition, books, and time away from work, this law opens the doors to higher positions, better income, and more professional opportunities.”

He also called on CHED and its partner agencies to monitor deputized Higher Education Institutions closely to ensure that the law reaches the people it was designed for.

What the IRR Actually Does

The Implementing Rules and Regulations translate the broad mandates of RA 12124 into specific procedures that schools and applicants must follow. Before the IRR, the law existed in principle. After the signing, it exists in practice.

At its core, the IRR ensures that ETEEAP operates as a rigorous academic process rather than a shortcut. It governs how CHED deputizes Higher Education Institutions, how applicants are screened, how assessments are conducted, and how degree requirements are fulfilled through the enrichment phase when competency gaps are identified.

The IRR is also significant because it formalizes two parallel tracks within the program: equivalency, which recognizes informal and non-formal learning from years of work experience, and accreditation, which validates formal training such as TESDA certifications and professional courses that did not lead to a degree.

Together, these tracks allow the program to meet working Filipinos where they are, rather than demanding that they start over.

A Program Built on Competency, Not Seat Time

One of the most important concepts behind ETEEAP, and one the IRR reinforces, is that the program measures competency rather than the number of hours spent in a classroom. This is not a shortcut. It is a different kind of rigor.

When an applicant enters the ETEEAP process, they go through a multi-stage assessment that can include portfolio evaluation, written examinations, practical demonstrations, and a panel interview with academic deans and industry experts. If the assessment reveals gaps between the applicant’s experience and the degree curriculum, the applicant completes an enrichment phase through online, modular, or blended learning. Many programs also require a capstone research paper.

This design means that every ETEEAP graduate meets the same standards expected of traditional graduates. The degree is the same. The recognition is the same.

Who Can Apply

The program is open to Filipino professionals who have accumulated substantial relevant work experience in their chosen field. A complete guide to the application process is available for those ready to begin. To check whether you qualify before taking any further steps, you can also use the eligibility checker on ETEEAP.PH.

Only schools officially deputized by CHED are authorized to grant degrees through ETEEAP. A full list of accredited schools and their available programs helps applicants find a school that fits their field and schedule.

Why This Moment Is Historically Significant

Before RA 12124, ETEEAP rested on Executive Order No. 330 signed in 1996. That foundation gave the program legitimacy, but it also meant the program could be altered or deprioritized by any administration. By passing it as a law, the Philippine Congress protected ETEEAP from the shifting priorities of successive governments. The IRR signing translates that legislative protection into operational reality.

CHED Chairperson Dr. Gaupo noted at the ceremony that the IRR is promulgated to “ensure the effective implementation of the ETEEAP Act, institutionalizing the program as a national educational strategy to recognize, assess, and accredit learning gained outside formal education systems.”

In plain terms: the government has now committed, in law and in regulation, to treating experience as education.

The Broader Picture

President Marcos framed this law within a larger vision of what he called “lifelong learning.” The phrase is not new, but the policy is. By institutionalizing ETEEAP, the Philippines joins countries that have long recognized Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) as a mainstream educational tool.

The law also helps educational institutions themselves. As the President noted, it acknowledges that learning is not always linear and that intelligence takes many forms. Schools that participate in ETEEAP become more inclusive institutions, more connected to the realities of their students’ lives, and better positioned to serve the actual workforce.

For sectors such as healthcare, engineering, business, and information technology, ETEEAP also creates a clearer pipeline to professional licensure examinations. An ETEEAP degree carries the same standing for PRC board exam eligibility as a degree earned through traditional instruction.

If you have spent years building skills in your field and you want to know whether your experience qualifies for a college degree, the best first step is to check your eligibility. Visit ETEEAP.PH to explore accredited schools, available programs, and a step-by-step guide to the application process. Your experience deserves recognition. Now there is a law that agrees.