The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) questions the "purely online" graduate program offered by the Philippine Christian University to (PCU) foreign students.
CHED chairperson Popoy De Vera said on Tuesday, August 22, that PCU violated Republic Act 11448, also known as the Transnational Higher Education Act, and failed to register for distance learning.
"Mag-rehistro muna sila sa CHED para ma-evaluate ang kanilang program kung papayagan," De Vera said during DZRH's Dos Por Dos.
He stressed that CHED only allowed online distance learning for foreign students due to the travel restrictions caused by the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
"Pagkatapos nung COVID, dapat pupunta dito para mag-aral ang estudyante. Noon lang iyan, inissue lang natin iyan, kasi physically hindi sila makapasok. Mahirap naman itigil ang pag-aaral," De Vera explained.
"Habang may health emergency, ituloy ninyo muna na online sila. Kapag papayagan na ang online travel ay dapat papasok na sila dito," he added.
De Vera said that the university should stop the program, and register with CHED.
"Habang ini-evaluate, hindi sila pwedeng tumanggap ng estudyante. Kung sila ay makapasa sa evaluation, saka lang sila dapat tumanggap ng estudyante," the CHED official stressed.
CHED has already issued a show-cause order against the university.
