Recommended for issuance of Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) for the BS Astronomy major in Meteorological Sciences and recommendation for the offering of the BS Meteorology Program. 

The Commission on Higher Education-National Capital Region (CHED-NCR) Regional Quality Assessment Team (RQAT) visited Rizal Technological University (RTU) on June 17, 2026, to evaluate one of RTU’s unique programs: Bachelor of Science in Astronomy major in Meteorological Sciences.

University officials, led by Vice Presidents Dr. Salvacion Pachejo and Dr. Kristine Opulencia, welcomed the Technical Panel for Meteorology, composed of panel chair Dr. Lemnuel Aragones and its members Dr. Virgilio Julius Manzano Jr. and Dr. Marcelino Villafuerte, along with Ms. Rowena Ann V. Malalaman, Education Supervisor at CHED-NCR, and Ms. Clarizze Angelu Aquino, Project Technical Staff at CHED-OPSD.

Key leaders from the College of Arts and Sciences, including Dean Dr. Jeremiah Pacer and Associate Dean Dr. Helen Asturias, along with Astronomy Department faculty members, were also present to support the BS Astronomy program’s bid to meet CHED standards.

Instr. Jason Kalaw, the Program Head for BS Astronomy, presented an overview of the program, including the selection criteria and process for student applicants. He also discussed specific program courses designed to prepare students to conduct their undergraduate theses.

Much of the discussion among university officials and the RQAT centered on the compliance of the BS Astronomy major in Meteorological Sciences with national standards, as it is the only Astronomy specialization that had not yet received a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) from CHED. The RQAT noted RTU’s potential to offer a separate program focused solely on Meteorology, which could further strengthen the university’s academic offerings in this field.

The visit culminated in a significant outcome for RTU: the RQAT recommended issuing a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) for the BS Astronomy major in Meteorological Sciences and endorsed establishing a standalone BS Meteorology program—recognizing RTU’s readiness and capacity to advance meteorological education in the country and overcome challenges in securing a COPC for the program. It is their recommendation that the university adjust the program’s nomenclature and prepare a new Meteorology program offering.

The meeting and review of the BS Astronomy program were fruitful conversations between RTU and CHED representatives, during which they clarified the program’s challenges. The convergence of insights and ideas also sheds light on the course of action the university can take to launch a new era of scientific discipline within the academe.

With this renewed direction, RTU is set to create better academic opportunities for the Filipino youth through a strengthened specialization in meteorological sciences—a highly relevant discipline to the Philippines’ atmospheric tendencies.