Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Prospero De Vera III on Thursday said he respectfully accepted President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s decision to end his term as chairman.

De Vera, who led the commission for almost seven years, expressed his gratitude to the president for the trust and opportunity given to him.

"While I have a term of office until July 2026, I submitted my courtesy resignation pursuant to the instructions of the President. I respect the President’s decision and thank him for the trust and the opportunity to continue with the educational reforms in higher education that I started when I was appointed Commissioner in 2016, Chairman in 2018, and under his administration," De Vera said in a statement.

De Vera will be replaced by CHED Commissioner Shirley Agrupis, a former president of Mariano Marcos State University in Ilocos Norte.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the Filipino people and to give an opportunity to every aspiring young Filipino to achieve his/her dream of completing their university education through the Universal Access to Quality Education law (RA 10931). It has also been a privilege to work with committed colleagues in CHED and across the higher education sector to promote access, equity, and quality in Philippine higher education," De Vera said.

The outgoing CHED chair extended his warm congratulations to Commissioner Agrupis on her designation as the new chairperson of the commission.

"As I step down from this post, I do so with gratitude and pride in what we have achieved together, and I remain committed to supporting the nation’s educational goals in any way I can," De Vera said.