Bicol: Six higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Bicol Region earned recognition in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, including four universities that improved their standing and two institutions entering the global assessment for the first time. On Thursday, Commission on Higher Education-Bicol (CHED-5) Director Demetrio Anduyan Jr. said the results reflect the region's HEIs' growing international competitiveness and their increasing contributions to sustainable development through research, instruction, innovation, and community engagement.
According to Philippines News Agency, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA), Bicol University, Sorsogon State University, and the University of Nueva Caceres improved their rankings from the previous year, while Ateneo de Naga University and Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges made their debut in the rankings. CHED-5 anticipates that more higher education institutions will join future editions of the THE Impact Rankings, the World University Rankings for Innovation, and other international recognition platforms.
Anduyan said the latest results confirm that Bicol's strategy is yielding meaningful, measurable outcomes. 'These milestones affirm that we are on the right track. Every institution we mentor, every partnership we cultivate, every digital platform we build, and every innovation we institutionalize brings Bicol closer to our vision of globally competitive, socially responsive HEIs,' he said.
As more HEIs prepare to join upcoming ranking cycles, Anduyan said CHED-5 remains firm in its commitment to building institutions that are globally competitive, locally responsive, and deeply committed to sustainable development. 'We are not merely pursuing international recognition - we are building institutions whose excellence is measured by the lives they transform, the communities they uplift, and the sustainable future they help create. Together, we will continue to elevate Bicol as a region whose universities are respected partners in advancing knowledge, innovation, and service to humanity,' he added.
The impact rankings assess universities worldwide on their contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, measuring institutional efforts beyond academic performance and research output. CHED-5 also highlighted that none of the participating institutions in the region recorded a decline in their rankings this year, indicating continued progress among Bicol HEIs in meeting international standards and demonstrating societal impact.
The regional office attributed the institutions' performance to sustained efforts to strengthen internationalization, research visibility, innovation, and quality assurance systems across the region's higher education sector. The annual THE Impact Rankings is widely regarded as one of the world's leading assessments of universities' contributions to sustainable development, evaluating institutions based on evidence of impact across teaching, research, stewardship, and community engagement.
