Higher education in the Philippines is becoming increasingly data-driven.
When evaluating SIS vendors, university leaders often encounter the term “CHED-aligned.” But what does it actually mean?
CHED does not certify or accredit commercial SIS vendors as “CHED-compliant.” For a university, a CHED-aligned SIS should support the institutional data, academic, quality assurance, and privacy requirements that apply to Philippine higher education.
Here are the key areas to evaluate before choosing an SIS for 2027.
1. Check CHED Data and Academic Readiness
HEMIS and HEIDA
The Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) supports CHED's collection of institutional data, including information related to programmes, enrolment, graduates, and faculty.
CHED's Higher Education Institution Data Analytics (HEIDA) platform further emphasizes structured institutional data, validation, historical information, and analytics.
Your SIS should therefore help your university maintain accurate, structured data that can support these reporting requirements. So ask the vendors the following:
Can it validate and preserve historical records?
Can the system maintain accurate enrolment, programme, faculty, and graduate data?
Can required institutional data be extracted without extensive spreadsheet consolidation?
The SIS supports the university's data management and preparation. It does not replace CHED's HEMIS or HEIDA platforms.
Outcome-Based Education
CMO No. 46, s. 2012 established an outcomes-based and typology-based quality assurance framework for Philippine higher education. An SIS should support the academic structures behind OBE, including:
Programme and course outcomes
Curriculum and outcome mapping
Assessment data
Outcome attainment
Quality assurance and accreditation evidence
Programme-specific CHED Policies, Standards and Guidelines should also be considered when evaluating curriculum and academic configuration.
Data Privacy and Security
RA 10173, the Philippine Data Privacy Act, makes privacy and security important considerations when selecting an SIS.
Evaluate whether the platform supports:
ISO 27001, VAPT, encryption standards, and similar certifications can be useful vendor evaluation criteria, but they should not be presented as requirements mandated by the Data Privacy Act.
2. Evaluate Philippine Academic and Registrar Workflows
A university SIS needs to reflect how Philippine institutions actually operate.
Student Lifecycle
Look for connected workflows covering:
For universities using flexible or CBCS academic models, evaluate support for prerequisites, credit requirements, electives, curriculum versions, and programme-specific rules.
Examination and Registrar Processes
The system should connect examination processes with the wider student record. Evaluate support for:
Examination eligibility
Exam permits
Examination scheduling
Mark entry and evaluation
GWA calculation
Failed and INC subjects
Revaluation
Transcript of Records generation
Graduation processing
Latin honors
Special Order-related records
Fees and Financial Assistance
Financial workflows also need to reflect the Philippine context.
Consider support for:
For payment integration, ask whether the platform supports channels relevant to your institution, such as Dragonpay, PayMongo, Xendit, GCash, Maya, or LANDBANK Link.BizPortal, where applicable.
3. Evaluate the Technology Behind the SIS
Unified SIS + LMS
A connected SIS and LMS can reduce unnecessary movement of student, course, attendance, assessment, and academic data between separate systems. However, universities should not treat external integration as a weakness. The better question is: Does the platform provide a unified academic foundation while still supporting secure integrations when the university needs them?
Interoperability
Evaluate integration with:
Finance and accounting
HR
LMS
Library
Identity and SSO
Payment systems
Analytics platforms
Ask vendors to demonstrate how information moves between systems, including how errors, permissions, and historical data are handled.
Mobile and Self-Service
Students, faculty, and administrators should be able to access relevant academic and administrative workflows digitally.
Evaluate access to:
Course registration
Grades and GWA
Attendance
Fees and payments
Documents
Student services
Notifications
How Camu Supports Philippine Higher Education
Camu provides a unified Student Information System and Learning Management System designed to connect student lifecycle, academic, administrative, and learning workflows.
For academic operations, Camu supports flexible enrolment, CBCS course selection, prerequisites, credit requirements, curriculum planning, academic progression, and connected timetable workflows. Its examination and academic administration capabilities include configurable examination regulations, subject rules, course completion, and clearance workflows. Camu also supports mobile access and connected student services across the digital campus.
Camu has implementations in Philippine higher education, including Mapúa Malayan Digital College, which partnered with Camu for its digital-first academic model.
Choosing an SIS for 2027
A CHED-aligned SIS is not about finding a vendor with a “CHED-compliant” label. It is about finding a platform that fits the requirements of your institution.
Before making a decision, evaluate:
CHED data readiness
OBE and programme requirements
Data privacy and security
Philippine academic and Registrar workflows
Examination and graduation processes
Financial assistance and billing
Accreditation evidence
SIS and LMS connectivity
Interoperability
Mobile and self-service capabilities
The right SIS should give your university a reliable foundation for managing student information, academic operations, reporting, and the wider student lifecycle.
Explore Camu's Student Information System for Philippine higher education.
