UP Convenes Stakeholders to Design National Micro-credential Standards
22 November 2025 | Written by: Keith Andrei Layson
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES – On November 24, 2025, the University of the Philippines, through the UP Open University (UPOU), the Office of the Vice President for Digital Transformation (OVPDx), and its designated Technical Working Group on Micro-credentials, will host the decisive Roundtable Discussion (RTD) to formulate the National Consortium on Micro-credential Standards and Frameworks at Microtel by Wyndham – UP Technohub.
This full-day, design-thinking-driven roundtable will bring together almost 50 key leaders and representatives from government agencies, higher education institutions, technical and vocational providers, professional regulatory commissions, accrediting bodies, and industry partners. Confirmed participants include government agencies (TESDA, DTI, DICT, and the Development Academy of the Philippines); industry groups (the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines); and private-sector employers. Ateneo de Manila University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines – Los Baños, and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University will participate in the roundtable.
“This roundtable marks the turning point for micro-credentials in the Philippines, where we bring together key stakeholders to develop a unified national framework for micro-credentials, including shared definitions, quality standards, and recognition pathways that support Filipino learners and workers,” said Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Chancellor of UPOU and member of the National Technical Working Group on Micro-credentials.
A validated comparative map of micro-credential practices across sectors and a prototype of the harmonized Philippine Micro-credential Framework are expected to be developed by the end of the RTD.
“A skill earned should be a credential recognized—whether learned in a university, a program, or on the job. Today we move from aspiration to architecture: building the system that makes this real for every Filipino learner and worker,” said VP Peter A. Sy, Office of the Vice President for Digital Transformation and member of the National Technical Working Group.
Immediately after November 24, the Micro-credential Consortium Secretariat will activate four thematic Technical Working Groups (Policy, Standards, Technology, Implementation) to refine the draft and prepare formal policy proposals for CHED, TESDA, PRC, and other agencies by early 2026.
With this framework, Filipino learners will be able to stack credentials from different providers into recognized qualifications in the industry and accrediting institutions.
To stay updated on the progress of the Philippine Microcredential Framework initiative, you may follow the University of the Philippines (UP) Office of the Vice President for Digital Transformation’s (OVPDx) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/upovpdx.
For more information, reach out to the UP OVPDx email at: [email protected].