Philippines sets national AI framework for higher education

The Philippines' Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has established a national framework for responsible artificial intelligence use across higher education through CHED Memorandum Order No. 21, series of 2026. CHED announced the framework on 22 September 2026, and a CHED statement carried by government broadcaster PTV News confirms that it is intended to guide 2,366 higher education institutions, 188,261 faculty members and more than 5.8 million students.

What the order requires

The framework covers teaching, learning, research and institutional operations. CHED says AI must support rather than replace human thinking. Course-level rules should make clear when AI is allowed or restricted and when its use must be disclosed.

AI detection tools may support an academic-integrity inquiry, but they cannot be the sole basis for finding misconduct. Other evidence and due process are required. The order also says no AI system should autonomously determine academic outcomes without meaningful human review, including in high-impact areas such as grading, admissions, scholarships, progression and evaluation.

CHED also requires safeguards for student and institutional data. Confidential or sensitive material should not be uploaded to unsecured public AI platforms. Its first guiding principle says AI should expand opportunities rather than deepen inequality.

Status: confirmed order, not a proposal

This is a confirmed CHED Memorandum Order and national higher-education policy framework. It is not a consultation proposal and it is not a research report. However, it is not a single one-size-fits-all university rule: higher education institutions retain flexibility to write local policies for their own courses, programmes and systems. Reporting on the order describes a default 12-month implementation period, with extensions possible depending on readiness.

Why it matters for inclusive learning

The framework puts human judgment, equity, academic integrity and data protection into national AI governance for higher education. The practical accessibility of AI tools will still depend on how individual institutions implement the framework.

Verified sources

Commission on Higher Education statement via PTV News, 24 September 2026: https://ptvnews.ph/ched-sets-national-direction-for-responsible-ai-use-across-ph-higher-education/

Philippine News Agency, 22 September 2026: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1284624

The Varsitarian, 24 September 2026: https://varsitarian.net/ched-ai-detectors-cannot-be-sole-basis-for-academic-misconduct/