PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed commissioner Prospero De Vera III as chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), based on the October 12 appointment paper released by Malacañang on Wednesday, October 17.

De Vera will hold the new position at Ched until July 21, 2022.

De Vera served as Ched commissioner since 2016 and was designated as the commission's officer-in-charge in January 2018 following the resignation of erstwhile Ched chair Patricia Licuanan.

He is also currently the Ched's official spokesperson.

In a statement, De Vera vowed to fulfill his new mandate and ensure the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10931, or the Free Higher Education Law, which is one of the Ched's biggest tasks.

"I am humbled and challenged by the trust and confidence given to me by President Duterte. I promise to diligently and conscientiously do whatever is necessary to ensure the successful implementation of Republic Act 10931 and all reforms necessary in higher education," he said.

Prior to his appointment to Ched in 2016, De Vera was vice president for public affairs of the University of the Philippines from 2011 to 2016. (SunStar Philippines)