Meeting CHED’s new microcredential guidelines: What Philippine universities need to know

In early 2025, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) released Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 1, Series of 2025, setting out national guidelines for the development, approval, and recognition of microcredentials in Philippine higher education.

This policy marks an important shift in how learning is delivered and recognised across the country. As universities adjust, understanding what’s required and how technology can support compliance will be critical.

What’s in the new CHED policy?

CHED’s CMO No. 1 aims to create a unified approach to microcredentials, modular learning experiences that focus on specific skills or competencies. These microcredentials may stand alone or stack toward larger qualifications and are designed to support lifelong learning, industry alignment, and flexible access to education.

The policy is built on the principles of the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF), with a strong emphasis on ensuring that all recognised microcredentials:

• Are outcomes-based and aligned with specific PQF levels
• Undergo a formal approval and quality assurance process
• Are recognised by industry, support learner progression, and demonstrate measurable value
• Include clear documentation, reporting, and digital issuance of learner achievements

CHED is asking universities to incorporate microcredentials into their wider curriculum strategies in ways that are responsive to both national development goals and local workforce needs.

What does this mean for universities?

To comply with the new CHED guidelines, Philippine institutions will need to do more than simply offer short courses. They will need to rethink how modular learning fits within their academic and operational frameworks.

For many universities, this will involve:

• Establishing internal processes for approving, reviewing, and monitoring microcredentials
• Mapping credentials to program outcomes and PQF levels
• Ensuring that content is rigorous, skills-aligned, and supported by credible assessments
• Putting in place systems for tracking learner progress, issuing verifiable credentials, and integrating with broader institutional reporting

For IT and academic leaders, the challenge lies in ensuring their learning systems can manage these requirements without adding administrative complexity or compromising on quality.

What should you look for in an LMS?

To deliver microcredentials at scale while meeting CHED requirements, institutions will need an LMS that is flexible, standards-aligned, and designed for modern credentialing.

Here are several capabilities to look for:

• Modular and outcomes-based course design: Your LMS should allow educators to build discrete, stackable learning experiences aligned to specific competencies or outcomes.
• Integrated assessment and analytics: Look for tools that support evidence-based evaluation and make it easy to monitor learner progress across microcredential offerings.
• Credential issuance: You’ll want the ability to issue digital certificates or badges that are verifiable, portable, and recognised by employers or other institutions.
• Robust QA and reporting tools: The system should help manage approval workflows, track quality standards, and generate reports for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Interoperability: Seamless integration with content providers, assessment tools, and other systems ensures scalability and relevance.
• Ease of use and scalability: The platform should be intuitive for faculty, support quick onboarding, and be capable of expanding across departments or campuses.

Using the right LMS will help your teams meet CHED’s expectations without needing to build entirely new infrastructure or overhaul your existing curriculum.

Future-proofing of curriculum delivery is not just a possibility but a certainty that we must prepare for. Whether it's the open and distance mode of learning or the challenges posed by environmental hazards and pandemics like COVID, Canvas LMS is our tool for ensuring continuity and quality in education delivery. —Central Luzon State University

How Canvas supports microcredential delivery and CHED compliance

Canvas LMS was built to support flexible, skills-focused learning. For universities responding to CHED’s policy, Canvas offers a straightforward path toward compliance, without adding complexity for educators or administrators.

Here’s how:

• Digital credentialing with Canvas Credentials: Institutions can issue portable, verifiable microcredentials using Canvas Credentials, a dedicated platform that supports the full lifecycle of badge and certificate issuance, from design and PQF alignment to learner sharing. Canvas Credentials adheres to open badge standards, ensuring that achievements are recognised across platforms, portfolios, and professional networks.
• Modular course design: Canvas allows educators to build outcome-based modules that can be delivered as standalone credentials or integrated into existing degree programs.
• Customisable pathways and mastery learning: With features like Mastery Paths, institutions can personalise learning journeys and ensure alignment with PQF levels and program outcomes.
• Rich assessment tools: Educators can design assessments directly tied to learning outcomes, apply rubrics for transparent grading, and use native analytics to track learner achievement and mastery.
• Learner dashboards and progress tracking: Students and administrators have access to real-time dashboards that support self-directed learning and institutional monitoring of microcredential outcomes.
• Quality assurance and reporting: Canvas supports institutional QA processes through version control, custom templates, and robust reporting, making it easier to meet CHED documentation and monitoring requirements.
• Designed for lifelong learning: Canvas and Canvas Credentials work together to support learners at every stage of their journey—from entry-level skill development to advanced, stackable qualifications—helping institutions create flexible, workforce-aligned learning pathways that reflect the intent of CHED’s policy.

Whether you’re already using Canvas or evaluating your LMS strategy, now is the time to align your systems with CHED’s evolving expectations.

For current Canvas institutions, you already have many of the tools you need to deliver compliant, high-quality microcredentials: modular learning design, robust reporting, and more. If you haven’t yet explored how to activate these features or want to add Canvas Credentials, we’re here to help.

And if your university is still looking for a platform to support CHED compliance, Canvas offers the flexibility, reliability, and future-ready design to help you lead confidently in this next phase of higher education.