The House of Representatives committee on higher and technical education, chaired by Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, on Monday approved two priority measures at the committee level aimed at strengthening student mental health services in state universities and colleges and reforming the country’s professional standards and quality assurance system.
The bills were authored by Acidre and fellow Tingog Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Andrew Julian Romualdez.
House Bill 4697 seeks to strengthen mental health services in State Universities and Colleges by mandating the establishment of mental health offices in all SUC campuses.
It calls for the deployment of trained mental health professionals, creation of campus hotlines, implementation of suicide prevention and crisis intervention mechanisms, and sustained mental health awareness campaigns.
It also provides for professional development, standardized salary scales, and benefits for mental health personnel, and requires funding support through the annual General Appropriations Act.
House Bill 4959 establishes the Philippine Professional Standards and Quality Assurance System to harmonize higher education, technical-vocational training, and professional regulation.
Acidre said the bill creates a Board of Program Standards and sector-based Skills and Standards Harmonization Councils to align curricula, licensure examinations, training regulations, and qualifications across agencies.
It clarifies the roles of CHED, TESDA, and the PRC to eliminate overlapping mandates, improve coordination, and promote lifelong learning, workforce mobility, and global competitiveness.
Both measures are part of the committee’s 10-Point Higher Education Legislative Agenda and aim to address persistent gaps in mental health access and fragmented professional regulation systems.
