“Maraming hinahanap na requirements ang CHED bago makalabas ang mga bata sa confines ng unibersidad. Dapat may masasabi rin ang CHED sa mga ganitong issue.” ~One stakeholder said
When Kidlat Tahimik renounced the perks of being a National Artist, his message transcended the protest of a single artist. It became a powerful reminder of the need to protect Filipino culture, history, ethics, and the humanities at a time when worries about the country's higher education system are still being voiced.
The well-known director, whose real name is Eric de Guia, voiced concerns about what he believes to be the diminishing importance of the humanities and history in shaping the next generation.
But his stand has also opened a wider discussion — one that now puts the spotlight on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the leadership of Chairperson Shirley Agrupis.
Critics are questioning whether CHED Chairman Agrupis herself is demonstrating the same commitment to historical preservation that it expects from the institutions under its supervision because of concerns that two important historical publications that the agency commissioned have not yet been released despite being completed.
The books, written by renowned historian Dr. Jaime Veneracion, were purportedly finished and ready for publication last year. Instead of being distributed to researchers, students, libraries, schools, and institutions, the documents are reported to have remained in storage.
Considered the first and only published institutional history of CHED since its inception in 1994, the first book describes the agency's accomplishments, reforms, challenges, and impact on Philippine higher education.
The second book, "The Chairperson Speaks," compiles the perspectives, experiences, triumphs, and challenges faced by each CHED Chairperson since 1994 as a historical narrative of the leadership that guided the organization throughout the years.
Some, however, questioned why such important historical works remained untouched under Agrupis' administration. Some have raised concern that the publications' lack of focus on the current administration—specifically, the absence of Agrupis' image on the cover or highlights of her accomplishments—may be the reason for the delay, given that the volumes were intended to document CHED's larger institutional history.
The two publications that CHED commissioned have reportedly been abandoned to collect dust at a CHED storage facility since 2025. This is viewed by many as a disrespect to the Filipino academic community and a wasteful use of public funds.
They stressed that these volumes were not created for any specific government, but rather for the benefit of schools, libraries, educators, legislators, and students who ought to have access to the history of Philippine higher education.
The issue raises a more important question for stakeholders: Should a body responsible for steering education's future allow its own history to be disregarded?
The conflict emerges as demands for CHED Chairman Agrupis to take on more leadership, accountability, and presence on issues affecting students and higher education institutions grow.
*Growing concerns about CHED Chairman Agrupis are expected to become one of the most important issues facing the incoming leadership of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education as the controversy raises more general questions about how CHED fulfills its mandate to uphold transparency, accountability, and responsible governance in an agency entrusted with shaping the future of millions of Filipino learners.
Additionally, observers observed that CHED Chairman Agrupis firmly requires schools to follow a variety of standards, including safety measures, documentation, and approvals, before permitting students to participate in off-campus activities. However, stakeholders question whether the agency responds with the same urgency when issues about institutional responsibility and student welfare arise.
Critics added that leadership in education should be defined by rulings that protect the public interest, preserve institutional memory, and support the academic sector rather than by prominence in ceremonies, titles, or honors.
As discussions continue, Kidlat Tahimik's symbolic position to defend culture and history has grown beyond the protest of a single artist to become a powerful call for accountability and to raise more significant issues with the leadership of CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis. Opponents argue that a group entrusted with shaping Philippine education in the future must also recognize the need of preserving its own past. In contrast to titles, personal recognition, or visibility, true leadership is defined by the responsibility to uphold public trust, preserve institutional legacy, and ensure that the knowledge and history created over many generations are not forgotten but rather passed on to the Filipino learners it was intended to serve.
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