
SU receives multiple honors at CHED-NIR’s 1st Regional Quality Awards
Silliman University (SU) received multiple awards for excellence in higher education during the inaugural CHEDRO XVIII – Negros Island Region (NIR) Regional Quality Awards, held at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium on May 30, 2025.
In celebration of the Commission on Higher Education’s 31st Founding Anniversary and 5th National Higher Education Day, the awards ceremony recognized outstanding achievements by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the NIR in areas such as instruction, research, extension, and institutional development.
SU led the roster of awardees with distinctions in nine categories, including:
- Outstanding Board Performance Award for the Philippine Nurses Licensure Examination
- Award for Excellence in Community Extension
- Award for Excellence in Research
- Award for Excellence in Internationalization Initiatives
- Award for Excellence in Peace Education
- Award for Excellence in Student Affairs and Services
- Recognition for Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings – Asia (601–620)
- Recognition under The World University Rankings for Innovation
- Recognition for Autonomous/Deregulated Status
CHED-NIR’s Regional Quality Awards
The awards ceremony marked the first Regional Quality Awards under the newly established Region XVIII (Negros Island Region).

Dr. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr., CHED-NIR Director, presents the region’s educational landscape.
CHED-NIR Director Dr. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr., in his welcome address, presented the NIR’s educational landscape, which includes a total of 88 HEIs. He also said that the Regional Quality Awards was organized to commend the efforts of HEIs in achieving excellence in education. He, however, emphasized that receiving the recognition for excellence should not be a one-time thing. “Once you got into the groove of … offering excellent programs, you don’t do it in one shot or one time. It has to be continuous,” he said.
Meanwhile, SU President Dr. Betty Cernol McCann, in her message, said that the event is more than just a celebration of excellence. “It is a meaningful gathering of all universities across Negros Island. It opens doors for deeper connection, dialogue, and collaboration,” she added.
Aside from the HEIs, CHED’s partner agencies were also recognized, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration, the Commission on Elections, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology, the Local Government of Dumaguete, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Professional Regulation Commission, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Philippine Information Agency, the Commission on Audit, the Department of Education, the Philippine Coconut Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Interior and Local Government.