MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE – 1:44 p.m.) Commissioner Prospero “Popoy” de Vera III has been named officer-in-charge of the Commission on Higher Education.
De Vera’s appointment, meant to “ensure continuous and effective delivery of public service,” was announced in a memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea Wednesday, January 24.
CHED executive director Karol Mark Yee also issued an internal memorandum informing the agency’s regional offices and institution of higher education of De Vera’s appointment.
De Vera’s appointment follows the resignation of Patricia Licuanan as CHED chair on January 15 following what she said was a phone call from Medialdea about questions raised over her foreign travels.
The CHED OIC is concurrent commissioner of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s National Commission of the Philippines, and adviser of the government panel to peace talks with communist rebels.
De Vera obtained his BA History and Doctor of Public Administration degrees from the University of the Philippines, of which he was also vice president for Public Affairs from 2011 to 2016.
He was a Senior Fulbright Visiting Professor/Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in 2000 to 2001 and specialized in Higher Education administration at the Rossier School of Education of the University of Southern California as a Fulbright Hays Visiting Scholar.
