The sounds of learning filled the air at St. Mary’s College (SMC)—lecturers in full stride, students tuned in, and small groups deep in discussion under the covered walkways—welcoming CHED Region I Education Supervisors Dr. Al Gerald Barde and Engr. Leonora Quarte as they navigated the hallways toward the President’s Office for a courtesy call before their monitoring activity on March 8, 2025.
Dr. Conchita Filart, dean of the Graduate School, introduced the members of the SMC team; then, Dr. Barde explained the purpose of the visit, which is to assess the Master of Arts in Education program of the institution.
Shortly after, Dr. Leonida Sison, SMC President, arrived and welcomed the team, expressing her gratitude for their visit.
“Thank you for coming, and please help us improve our graduate program,” she said.
The supervisors proceeded with the evaluation – reviewing the curriculum, research and creative works policies, administration, faculty, and library.
Their observations were recorded in the evaluation tool based on CHED Memorandum Order No. 15, s. 2019, which outlines policies, standards, and guidelines for graduate education programs.
Named after the historic Santa Maria Church, a renowned minor basilica in Ilocos Sur, SMC is the only private higher education institution in town.
Dr. Sison credited the institution’s progress, particularly its increasing enrollment, to the divine guidance of Mama Mary but acknowledged the need for further improvements.
She emphasized that the comments and suggestions from the evaluation would serve as their basis for development.
Dr. Barde stressed compliance with national standards, noting that the government is “seriously” addressing educational gaps identified by EDCOM II.
“Graduate education schools must do their responsibility to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to effectively educate learners in both basic and higher education,” he said.
𝘣𝘺 𝘈.𝘎. 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦
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The Commission on Higher Education Regional Office 1 (CHED ROI) underwent training in Photography and Photojournalism at the CHED ROI Conference Room on March 3, 2025.
During the fourth leg of Project WRITES (Writing Responsibly through Information Sessions, Training, and Engagement with Stakeholders), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) led the training.
Mr. Gerald Fabro, Administrative Officer of DICT RO1, discussed the fundamentals of photography and the types of shots that can be considered to highlight the image subject; while, Ms. Krizalynne Manzano underscored photojournalism as a form of visual storytelling and reporting to the reader.
“Through Photojournalism, we can tell a tale of what happened or transpired in a certain activity… It is not just merely taking shots from different angles but the importance of the quality of image and message it wishes to convey to our stakeholders and audiences,” Ms. Manzano said.
The participants also presented their outputs, applying the techniques learned during the training session.
Before the training, Ms. Carla Joyce Cajala, Science Research Specialist of Department of Science and Technology Regional Office I, shared the agency’s best practices in mitigating fake and irrelevant information as well as the importance of cohesiveness in relaying information to the stakeholders.
𝘣𝘺 𝘒.𝘑 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘰
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𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗪︱Higher Education Career Fair (HECF) at CSI Stadia, Lucao District, Dagupan City, Pangasinan, themed “Tagumpay mo, Kabataan, Pangarap ng Dagupan
CHED ROI hosts a booth where participants can inquire about the agency’s services.
Visit us today!

In celebration of National Women’s Month this March 2025, the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office 1 (CHED ROI) offered special services and promotions to honor women’s contributions in Region 1 through the “2025 Serbisyo Para Kay Juana” last March 6-8, 2025.

CHED ROI provided a special lane for the female applicants for Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV), scholarships application, technical assistance, among others.

The service was align to the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) “Serbisyo Para Kay Juana 2025” initiative, which encourages entities nationwide to extend gestures of appreciation to women and girls throughout March.

𝘣𝘺 𝘋.𝘑. 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘳
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Two (2) graduates from Region 1 HEIs secured spots among the topnotchers in the February 2025 Licensure Examination for Criminologists.
Ms. Precious M. Purruganan of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) ranked 7th with a 91.60% passing rate, while Mr. Leonel V. Martinez of the University of Luzon (UL) ranked 8th with a passing rate of 91.45%.
In addition, the Data Center College of the Philippines – Laoag City ranked 3rd, and DMMMSU – Mid La Union Campus ranked 6th among the top-performing HEIs with 51-100 examinees and at least 80% passing percentage.
The CHED Regional Office 1 family extends its warmest congratulations to the successful passers. May their achievements inspire future board takers!
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In a concerted effort to strengthen academic and PNP collaboration, the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office 1 (CHED RO1), the Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1), Professional Criminologists of the Philippines, and Council of Criminal Justice Educators – Region 1, convened for a meeting aimed at advancing joint initiatives in peace, security, and criminal justice education at the Regional Comptrollership Division Office of PRO 1 on March 7, 2025.
The meeting brought together officials from the four institutions to discuss project collaborations that would enhance academic programs, provide hands-on training for future criminologists, and support for public safety and security efforts in Region 1.
Dr. Myrelle Faith D. Mina, Education Supervisor II and Focal for Peace and Order, Anti-Drug Strategy and Peace Education of CHED RO1 underscored the significance of building synergy between the academe, professional organizations, and law enforcement agencies.
“This partnership is instrumental in equipping our students with practical knowledge while contributing to community safety and security. Through this collaboration, we can bridge academic expertise with real-world applications,” she stated.
PLTCOL Ma. Leonora Teresa A. Dela Cruz, Officer-in-Charge of the Regional Comptrollership Division and Project Lead for Police Community Academy of PRO1 emphasized their commitment to mentoring future criminologists and integrating academic perspectives into policing practices.
The Police officials of the Regional Community Affairs Division also expressed their support to the initiatives aimed at strengthening crime prevention strategies through education, underlining that well-trained criminology graduates can significantly contribute to public safety.
“By working closely with academic institutions, we can ensure that future law enforcement professionals are not only skilled but also grounded in ethical and community-centered policing,” PLtCol De La Cruz said.
The Professional Criminologists of the Philippines, represented by Dr. Ambosio Detran, Region 1 Governor, highlighted the role in building continuous professional development and ensuring that criminology graduates align with national standards in public safety and security.
Dr. Aurora Laroya, President of the Council of Criminal Justice Educators – Region 1 (CCJE R1) and Dean of the College of Criminology of Don Mariano Marcos State University, Mid La Union Campus, also shared her optimism regarding the said collaboration.
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this partnership, as it provides our students with invaluable opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios while reinforcing ethical and community-centered policing,” Dr. Laroya shared.
The strategic collaboration is expected to pave the way for more structured programs that will benefit students, future criminologists and PNP.
A series of activities, including the conduct of Police Community Academy 2.0, seminars, and capacity-building initiatives, are set to be implemented as part of the long-term partnership.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to sustaining this alliance, reinforcing the role of education in strengthening peace and order in Region 1.
𝘣𝘺 𝘔.𝘍. 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘢
#CHEDRO1