A minimum of 18 units in general education will be tested in 2028.
The plan to reduce college general education to a minimum of 18 units in 2027 will be moved to 2028, the Commission on Higher Education announced on May 13.
“This is to give us time…to analyze and study well the different manifestations because we understand where they are coming from,” CHED chairperson Shirley Agrupis said during a press conference on Wednesday evening.
Agrupis noted that they’ve met with the Department of Education, Teacher Education Council, and Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2). The four institutions will create an inter-agency technical working group to review position papers from concerned citizens, higher education institutions, and professional organizations.
Agrupis said they’re open to receiving more submissions until June 15.
The “integrated” humanities
In CHED’s proposal, 15 units will be core subjects, and three will be institutional subjects. Colleges may expand GE offerings up to 36 units.
In effect, the humanities—philosophy, ethics, literature, art appreciation, and history—will no longer stand as independent disciplines but will be integrated into broader subjects.
Previously, DepEd reduced senior high core subjects from 15 to five. By Grade 12, students are pushed toward specialization or work immersion depending on track: “Academic” for college or “Technical-Professional” for immediate work.
The schemes are aligned with the so-called outcomes-based education, which aims to produce “job-ready” graduates.
CHED is slowing down its plan to cut college GE units. Learn why the 18-unit proposal is being moved to 2028 and what the integration of humanities means for the next generation of job-ready Filipino graduates.
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Preparing for the 2028 curriculum shift
If you are a student, parent, or educator, keep these in mind:
If your target degree is "Technical-Professional," the 18-unit GE will get you to the workplace faster. However, if you plan to move into leadership or law, you may want to choose a university that exercises its right to keep the 36-unit GE maximum to ensure a stronger liberal arts foundation.
If ethics and philosophy are integrated into other subjects, students must become proactive in reading the classics independently. A job-ready graduate with no ethical compass is easily replaced by AI; a graduate with high human intelligence (HI) remains indispensable.
Follow the EDCOM 2 reports closely after the June 15 submission deadline. Their analysis will dictate whether integrated humanities will actually include history and ethics or if those subjects will simply vanish from the syllabus.
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