Davao de Oro State College President Dr. Lilybeth M. Matunhay joined fellow State Universities and Colleges (SUC) presidents as she represented the institution at the 1st Presidents’ Summit 2025 held on August 14-15, 2025, at Century Park Hotel in Malate, Manila.

Hosted by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), the gathering convened SUC leaders nationwide to discuss policies, innovations, and collaborative strategies with an eye toward enhancing quality assurance and accreditation in higher education.

In particular, the maiden President’s Summit focused on ensuring that institutional strategies among SUCs align with quality benchmarks, promote continuous improvement, and enhance global competitiveness.

Accompanying Dr. Matunhay were Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Gloryjean C. Altamera and Quality Assurance Unit Head Nova Mae Bago-Nasol.

Meanwhile, in her keynote address, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis outlined the current state of Philippine higher education. She highlighted pressing issues, including the growing concern over graduate unemployment, which she described as a symptom of deeper systemic challenges affecting the sector.

For DDOSC, Dr. Matunhay pledged to address these challenges by strengthening academic programs, building industry linkages, and aligning curricula with evolving labor market needs to boost the employability of its graduates.