Jamaine Punzalan

The Commission on Higher Education. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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CHED

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Commission on Higher Education (CHED) commissioner Shirley Agrupis will replace Prospero De Vera III as chairperson of the body, Malacanang said Thursday.This was part of the ongoing cleansing of the Marcos administration among its top brass following the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the members of the cabinet, heads of agencies, presidential advisers and assistants and other appointees to submit courtesy resignations.Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the president might have wanted a restart for the commission.“As far as I know, although this is not the official reason, you know si CHEd Chair de Vera has been there for two terms na, second term na niya ito. Maybe the President wanted to give a fresh start to the CHED or maybe there were other reasons,” he said in a Palace press briefing Thursday, May 29.The Palace official also cited “intramurals” within the collegial body as a potential factor why the president accepted De Vera’s courtesy resignation.“Hindi natin madi-discount that may factor diyan iyong mga intramurals doon sa CHEd. I do not know, I cannot particularize because I’m just generally aware of those particulars. A collegial body like the CHEd always comes under such pressure from within but I’m not going to say that that was the reason, I’m just guessing. That played a lot in the acceptance of the resignation,” he stated.Prior to her appointment as CHED commissioner in August 2024, Agrupis served as president of the Mariano Marcos State University.She is a cum laude graduate of BS Biology and obtained her Master of Science, major in Plant Morpho-Anatomy and Physiology from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños, according to her biography on MMSU website.She also acquired Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Sciences from the United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Shizuoka University Campus in Japan.Agrupis also bagged several awards including the William D. Dar Research Leadership Award by the Philippine Association of Research Managers, the Outstanding Science Administrator Award from the National Academy of Science on Technology, the Most Outstanding Ilocano 2019 and the Civil Service Commission’s Lingkod Bayan Award in 2020.<div>POPOY’S EXIT</div>In a statement, De Vera accepted Marcos Jr.’s decision to end his term after an almost seven-year stint.“While I have a term of office until July 2026, I submitted my courtesy resignation pursuant to the instructions of the President. I respect the President’s decision and thank him for the trust and the opportunity to continue with the educational reforms in higher education that I started when I was appointed Commissioner in 2016, Chairman in 2018, and under his administration,” he said.De Vera also congratulated his successor.He also called it an “honor of a lifetime” to help the Filipino youth complete their university education through the Universal Access to Quality Education Law.“It has also been a privilege to work with committed colleagues in CHED and across the higher education sector to promote access, equity, and quality in Philippine higher education,” De Vera stated.“As I step down from this post, I do so with gratitude and pride in what we have achieved together, and I remain committed to supporting the nation’s educational goals in any way I can,” he noted.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/23/marcos-to-retain-economic-managers-after-courtesy-resignations-palace-1434">Marcos retains economic managers, shuffles other Cabinet secretaries</a></div>

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) commissioner Shirley Agrupis will replace Prospero De Vera III as chairperson of the body, Malacanang said Thursday.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) commissioner Shirley Agrupis will replace Prospero De Vera III as chairperson of the body, Malacanang said Thursday.

Shirley Agrupis named new CHED commissioner: Palace

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Shirley Agrupis named new CHED commissioner: Palace

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 29, 2025 02:53 PM PHT

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Updated May 30, 2025 09:44 AM PHT

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CHED

Shirley Agrupis

Prospero De Vera III

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