The University of Baguio successfully concluded its ETEEAP Panel Assessors’ Training on March 20, 2025, marking another significant milestone in its journey to provide balanced quality education at every level.
Established in 1996 through Executive Order 330 and formally institutionalized in 2025, the Extpanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) is an alternate educational system that recognizes the skills and knowledge earned through work experience and other prior learning methods, allowing professionals to earn a bachelor’s degree without having to undergo traditional education. It’s a valuable opportunity for pursuing higher education, and it is one of the options that UB is able to provide for its clientele.
This event brought in partners from various sectors – industry, government, and academe – alongside the UB ETEEAP assessors, uniting them in the pursuit of knowledge and the continued evolution of education. Training ETEEAP assessors plays an integral role in maintaining and enhancing the quality of education that the program is able to offer. Assessors are the forerunners of the of the program’s credibility, ensuring that applicants are able to graduate with the necessary competencies and qualifications.
The program began with an opening address from Dr. Janice Kaylyn Lonogan, the university’s Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), who got the program underway with a rousing message emphasizing the importance of initiatives such as this event in the university’s journey to provide education to the community.
Following this, Linkages Office Director Ms. Melanie Rulla Saro launched into a discussion on the policies and guidelines for ETEEAP, giving a comprehensive exploration of its different working parts to further deepen the assessors’ understanding of the program.
After her, Ms. Jenelyn Magpatoc, the Dean of the School of International Hospitality (SIHTM) and Tourism Management, oversaw a discussion on Global Trends and Best Practices. She emphasized the importance of staying updated with industry standards and adapting to the evolving demands of internationalization in education.
In the next segment, Dr. Charesma Grace Lud-ayen, the Dean of the School of Criminal Justice and Public Safety (SCJPS) went over the challenges and strategies for evaluating prior learning. She emphasized the need for establishing clear criteria and standardized processes so that the results of these assessments is consistent and streamlined.
Finally, Dr. Ramir Austria, the Dean of the University of the Cordilleras (UC) College of Teacher Education and ETEEAP Coordinator, bookended the discussion portion by tackling the enhancement of assessment validity and reliability.
Rounding out the event was Mr. John Balanquit, Dean of the School of Business Administration and Accountancy (SBAA), who synthesized the different talks and delivered a concise recap of the topics that were covered over the course of the program.
The success of the event would not have been possible without the insights from the speakers and the active participation of the assessors, making for an informative and lively discussion that touched on the important foundational parts and core principles to ensure that the ETEEAP assessors are upholding the culture of excellence of not just the program itself, but also the University of Baguio. This gathering reaffirmed the UB’s continuous commitment to providing academic services to the community.
