Philippines education body open to recognizing transgender students' chosen names

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) is prepared to establish guidelines recognizing the lived names of transgender and queer students across the country's higher education institutions, according to statements made during congressional budget hearings.

Makati Representative Monique Lagdameo disclosed CHEd's openness to the policy initiative during House deliberations on the agency's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The measure would allow LGBTQ+ students to use their chosen names in academic records and institutional documentation at colleges and universities nationwide.

The development represents a potential step toward greater institutional acceptance of transgender and queer Filipinos in academic settings. Currently, Philippine universities operate under varying policies regarding name usage, with many requiring legal documentation for official records.

The proposed policy would need to be formally drafted and implemented by CHEd across all higher education institutions under its jurisdiction. No timeline has been announced for the completion of such guidelines, and further details on the policy's scope remain to be determined through formal development processes.