A UST alumnus has been appointed to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), taking over the place of now Chairman Prospero de Vera III.
Aldrin Darilag, a medical technology alumnus, will serve as commissioner until July 2020.
“I would like to believe that I have a special mission to fulfill [in] the higher education system in which the Thomasian virtues could be [used] to transform our nation through excellent education,” he said in an interview.
The former Varsitarian Filipino writer believes that being an academician for 21 years and his experience as an certified human resources director of De La Salle Philippines equipped him with the necessary expertise in curriculum development, strategic planning and knowledge in governance and education, which he thinks are vital for the post.
Academic excellence, innovation and integrity, he said, should all be integrated in the Philippine higher education development plan.
“I suppose that I could synergize my experience as a long-time educational leader for the task-based development and my human resource skills for people-based formation,” he said. “A good mixture between being task-oriented and people-oriented.”
The 48-year-old commissioner plans to venture on extensive programs and improvement in the local research and knowledge management.
He also intends to focus on aligning the implemented standards by local accrediting agencies to the international standards to improve the country’s standard of education.
Darilag, who is currently a resident faculty member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP), aims to lobby a culture-based education.
In collaboration with NCCA, he said the commission is constantly encouraging educators to practice culture-based teaching and learning which includes not just incorporating Baybayin in the curriculum but also addressing the issues on the mother tongue-based multilingual education.
“I’m constantly in collaboration with the director of the PCEP. We are doing something to make our faculty members culture-based,” he said.
On the removal of Filipino and Panitikan subjects in college, the UST graduate affirmed that while he respects the technical panel’s decision on this provision, the implications need to be further discussed as the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino lobbies for further action.
“This Filipino course needs to be revisited and there are many suggestions to review these policies and guidelines,” he said.
Darilag was a former associate professor at De La Salle University – Manila. He also served as the vice president for academic services at St. Paul University Surigao and the vice president for research, planning and extension services at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina.
