The Quest for Quality

The Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) traces its beginnings as an accrediting arm of PACU in 1950 

As an internal policy of PACU, accreditation provided the stimulus for the growth of the nucleus of accreditation in its member schools. Consequently, the publication of the first PACU Handbook of Rules and Standards of Approval and Accreditation of Private Schools and Universities followed, with the end in view of guiding member schools of PACU in achieving excellence through self-evaluation of their educational programs in light if their philosophy and objectives.

In 1967 the organization's focus on accreditation intensified in the appointment of the first committee on accreditation and the adoption of the first manual.

The momentum for accreditation remained relentless with the formalization of the accrediting body now known as PACUCOA . Eventually, in an attempt to streamline its accreditation activities, the agency adopted the 1967 manual and evaluative instrument and laid down the foundation of the official separation of PACUCOA form PACU. With the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission, PACUCOA, Inc. became an independent entity registered as a non-stock, non-profit corporation. The original incorporators of PACUCOA were Alicia S. Bustos, Feliciana A. Reyes, Nieves A. Tality, Julia V. Calixtro, Carmen G. Kanapi, Amado C. Dizon, Manuel D. Punzal and Antonio Orendain III.

Form a membership of six schools with nine accredited programs in 1977, PACUCOA membership today lits 42 schools with 149 programs. there has been both tremendous increase both in the number of programs and in the number of schools accredited.

PACUCOA, in collaboration with the other accrediting agencies, developed survey instruments for the liberal arts, education and commerce programs in 1983. The significant number of maritime students and programs across the country called for the development of a survey instrument for the maritime program in 1984. Similarly, responding to the needs of member schools, the following instruments were also developed.

The 1970 Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education conceived the plan of establishing a federation of accrediting agencies. However, it was only in 1976 during a COCOPEA conference when the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) was born.

During this conference, a consensus was reached to establish a federation of accrediting agencies which would be a national, voluntary, non-profit and non-governmental agency. Its creation was in response to the need to harness private, voluntary accreditation into a more effective force for raising educational standards in the Philippines.