Ateneo Research Institute for the Futures of Education - RIFE

Day 2 | CHED Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF) Stakeholder Consultation Workshop

The second day of the CHED Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF) Stakeholder Consultation Workshop centered on using future scenarios to inform decisions today. Fr. Johnny C. Go, SJ, Dean of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design (GBSEALD), presented RIFE’s scenario narratives for the Futures for Philippine higher education in 2050. Grounded in the forces of change identified during the workshop, these scenarios invited participants to reflect not only on how likely each future is, but also on what actions are needed today to move closer to the preferred future.

Building on these discussions, Dr. Karol Mark Yee, Executive Director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), shared provocations and insights relevant to the Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF). Drawing on current evidence, he highlighted pressing challenges facing Philippine higher education, including persistent quality gaps, to further ground participants as they considered priorities for the sector’s future.

To close the workshop, Ms. Marite Irvine of Ateneo RIFE facilitated a stress-testing exercise that encouraged participants to refine and strengthen HEDF’s proposed investment priorities.

The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to shaping a more resilient, inclusive, and future-ready higher education system through HEDF’s 10-year Priority Investment Plan.

The Ateneo RIFE wrapped up the four-part education policy brown bag series with Dr Anne Lan K Candelaria, who presented on Education Policy Research: What Evidence Matters and Why.

Dr Anne is the Assistant Vice President for Graduate Education at Ateneo de Manila University.

For the third brown bag session on education policy, the Ateneo RIFE heard from leading expert Dr Ma Cynthia B Bautista, who presented on Navigating Educational Futures: Rethinking Policy Research for an Age of Uncertainty.

Dr Cynthia is the Member for Academe on EdCom II and a Professor and Former Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of the Philippines.

Continuing the education policy brown bag series, the Ateneo RIFE welcomed our second resource speaker, Dr Niño Leviste. He presented on Education Policy Research: A Futures Thinking Approach.

Dr Niño is the Director of the Institute of Philippine Culture, Associate Professor & Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ateneo de Manila University.

On 1 July 2026, the Ateneo RIFE began a series of brown bag sessions on education policy featuring four key experts. Our first session featured Dr Ronald U Mendoza, who delivered a presentation on Democratic Governance and Data: Navigating The Political Economy.

Dr Ron is the Undersecretary for Strategic Management at the Department of Education.

The Philippines has entered a demographic sweet spot where the working-age population outnumbers its young and dependent population. This demographic transition can provide a temporary advantage for the country as increased workforce can boost economic growth and productivity in the next two decades.

However, this potential demographic dividend, if not fully harnessed, can become a demographic burden.

As the education system continues to grapple with persistent learning gaps, the pressure to produce a Philippine workforce fit for the 21st century mounts. This places an immense burden on schools to capacitate students with foundational skills and emerging future-ready competencies.

If these skills are not urgently prioritized, the future of human capital is at risk as well as the economic potential of the Philippines.

How do we ensure that the growing working-age population will become an asset and not a liability?

Read more about this on our website: rife.ateneo.edu/radar/demographic-dividend-at-risk-learning-poverty-and-the-future-of-human-capi
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The Ateneo RIFE Radar Series surfaces signals of change and emerging issues in Philippine education, inviting deeper and diverse thinking about their impacts today and into the future

From YouTube tutorials to microcredentials and alternative certifications, more people are learning outside traditional education to build real skills that employers value.

What happens to schools and universities if this shift keeps growing? In this month’s RADAR, we investigate the rise of alternative learning certifications, what’s driving them, why they matter, and what futures they might be leading us toward.

Swipe through and comment down below: would you choose a microcredential over a college degree?

Inclusive education begins long before a child enters the classroom.

Ateneo RIFE has released a new Policy Lab Note, Enabling Enablers: What the Journey of Parents of Children with Disabilities Reveals About Inclusive Education Service Gaps, which examines the challenges families encounter from early identification to school integration.

Drawing on insights from a multi-stakeholder service design workshop involving parents, SNEd teachers, developmental experts, civil society organizations, and members of the DepEd RA 11650 policy team, the note surfaces key pain points in the current system and identifies opportunities for innovation in service delivery, information access, and financial support.

As the implementation of the Inclusive Education Act (RA 11650) continues, understanding the lived experiences of parents is essential to building a more responsive, coordinated, and inclusive education system.
Read the full note and learn how stakeholders can better support families on the path toward inclusive education: rife.ateneo.edu/reports