ILOILO — A decade after transforming Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U) into one of the country’s leading state universities, Dr. Raul F. Muyong is set to take on a broader mission — leading the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Western Visayas as its new Regional Director.
His appointment, formalized through CHED Special Order No. 125, Series of 2025 signed by Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis on October 28, takes effect on November 17. He succeeds Dr. Raul C. Alvarez Jr., who will now serve as Director IV at CHED’s Negros Island Region office.
Dr. Muyong, who served as ISAT U president from 2015 to 2025, is known for steering the university’s transition from the former West Visayas College of Science and Technology into a full-fledged science and technology institution. Under his leadership, ISAT U expanded its research programs, strengthened international linkages, and institutionalized transparent and participatory governance.
Before assuming his new role, Muyong also headed CHED’s Office of Institutional Quality Assurance and Governance (OIQAG), where he helped design policies ensuring that higher education institutions adhere to national academic benchmarks.
As CHED-6 Regional Director, Muyong will oversee policy implementation, institutional governance, and quality assurance initiatives across Western Visayas — a region with some of the country’s fastest-growing state universities and colleges.
He will also sit on the Board of Regents of the Iloilo State University of Fisheries and Technology (ISUFST), the nation’s first fisheries university, to guide its long-term strategies in innovation and sustainability.
“We believe Dr. Muyong’s extensive experience in managing a science and technology university uniquely positions him to advance ISUFST’s mission in fisheries, industrial technology, and innovation,” said ISUFST President Dr. Nordy D. Siason Jr. “The ISUFST community is inspired and motivated to work alongside him in cultivating a more resilient and future-ready higher education ecosystem.”
Stakeholders in the education sector have expressed optimism that Muyong’s appointment will usher in a new era of collaboration, academic excellence, and policy consistency in Western Visayas.
With his appointment, CHED-6 signals its resolve to elevate the region’s higher education standards — aligning its goals with national priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in quality education, decent work, and partnership-driven growth./PN