The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued a national framework forresponsible, human-centered AIin Philippine higher education. Memorandum Order No. 21, series of 2026, covers public and private higher education institutions under CHED jurisdiction, including teaching, learning, research, administration, student services and governance. The order says AI should strengthen human intelligence and independent scholarly contribution rather than replace them. It preserves institutional autonomy, allowing colleges and universities to shape local policies around their programs, resources and readiness, while requiring baseline safeguards for accountable use.
Academic work gets specific guardrails. Course syllabi should state when AI is allowed, restricted or must be disclosed, and students must disclose AI use in submissions under rules set by each institution. CHED encourages authentic, process-based, oral, reflective and performance-based assessments where appropriate. Detection tools may be used, but they cannot be the sole basis for finding misconduct; allegations must be supported by evidence and due process. The policy also requires disclosure of AI use in theses, dissertations and research outputs, while retaining human scholarly responsibility.
The framework treats data protection and consequential decisions as higher-risk areas. HEIs must protect student data, research materials and institutional information, and must not place confidential or sensitive material on unsecured public AI platforms. Systems used for grading, admissions screening, scholarships, proctoring, student progression or faculty evaluation require enhanced safeguards, including impact assessment, documentation and periodic review. No AI system may autonomously determine academic outcomes withoutmeaningful human review. Faculty and administrators are also expected to receive training in responsible AI use and data governance.
CHED’s implementation approach is deliberately phased rather than one-size-fits-all. The default transition period is 12 months, with institutions able to seek an 18- to 24-month transition when readiness, resources or context require it. The order does not make universal AI detection, exhaustive documentation or a mandatory regulatory center obligations for every HEI. It instead promotes AI literacy, interdisciplinary competencies, research, industry-government coordination and continuous review. The primary report is from Philippine News Agency, corroborated by the official CHED order and Manila Bulletin.
