50 Years of Excellence: How PHINMA-COC's Criminology Program Became a CHED Center of Excellence

Half a century is no small feat for any academic program. For the Bachelor of Science in Criminology of Cagayan de Oro College, known today as PHINMA-COC, fifty years of service to the community is a milestone that carries the weight of thousands of careers, countless acts of public service, and a level of academic recognition that only a handful of institutions across the country have earned.

In 2026, PHINMA-COC held a press conference to formally mark the Golden Legacy Celebration of its Criminology program. The occasion was notable not just for the number of candles on the cake, but for who spoke on behalf of the institution: Dr. Manny Jaudian, the former Dean of Criminology and now the ETEEAP Executive Director of PHINMA-COC.

In This Article

A Golden Legacy Worth Celebrating

At the press conference, Dr. Jaudian was direct and proud. “It is only fitting to take pride and celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the Bachelor of Science in Criminology program,” he said, speaking to the long history that has unfolded since CHED first issued the Certificate of Recognition for the program.

That recognition was not handed out lightly. Over five decades, the Criminology program of PHINMA-COC has produced graduates who did not simply collect their diplomas and move on. They moved into public service, took on roles that required them to make difficult decisions, and carried the school’s name into institutions that sit at the heart of Philippine law enforcement and human rights.

For Dr. Jaudian, the proof of the program’s value is not found in rankings or awards alone. It is found in the people. Graduates who stayed, who served, and who continue to represent the spirit of criminology education in northern Mindanao.

From Classroom to Community: Where the Graduates Went

The reach of PHINMA-COC’s Criminology program is visible across several major institutions. According to Dr. Jaudian, many graduates now serve in the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), living out the familiar motto “to serve and to protect.”

This is exactly the kind of community contribution that the ETEEAP program, by design, is built to recognize and reward. As defined under Republic Act No. 12124, also known as the ETEEAP Act, the program exists to validate knowledge and expertise derived from real-world experience, precisely the kind of professional life that PNP officers and NAPOLCOM personnel accumulate over years of active duty.

For law enforcement professionals who served their community for years without ever completing a formal degree, ETEEAP offers a structured and legitimate pathway. You can explore the available programs for working professionals at eteeap.ph/pages/programs.html.

The Value of Teaching: A Vocation That Frees

Not all of PHINMA-COC’s Criminology graduates chose the badge and the uniform. Dr. Jaudian spoke warmly of those who instead entered the teaching profession, calling it “a long vocation because it gives people freedom from ignorance.”

This sentiment resonates deeply with the philosophy behind programs like ETEEAP. Education is not confined to the four walls of a classroom, and the decision to become an educator, whether one comes from a background in criminology, business, or technology, is itself a form of public service.

For professionals who are currently working as teachers or trainers and who want to formalize their academic credentials, understanding what ETEEAP is and how it works is a strong first step.

What CHED’s Center of Excellence Recognition Really Means

Perhaps the most significant detail in Dr. Jaudian’s remarks at the Golden Legacy press conference was this: the BS Criminology program of PHINMA-COC is now recognized by CHED as a Center of Excellence.

This is not a ceremonial title. Under the ETEEAP Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), a Center of Excellence designation is one of the primary qualifications that allows an institution to be deputized to offer degrees under ETEEAP. In other words, this recognition is what opens the door for PHINMA-COC to extend the value of its Criminology expertise beyond traditional classrooms and into the lives of working professionals who need a formal degree to advance.

Section 10 of RA 12124 is clear on this point: a higher education institution that has been recognized as a Center of Excellence in a specific program or discipline is eligible to be deputized by CHED to offer that program through ETEEAP. The Center of Excellence status is not just an institutional honor. It is a gateway.

For readers who want to understand how CHED-deputized schools are evaluated and selected, the full list of currently accredited ETEEAP schools is available at eteeap.ph/pages/schools.html.

The ETEEAP Connection: Why This Milestone Matters for Working Professionals

Dr. Jaudian’s current role as ETEEAP Executive Director at PHINMA-COC tells you something important about where the institution is heading. A man who spent years building and leading one of Mindanao’s strongest Criminology programs has now shifted his focus toward alternative learning, toward reaching the professionals who could not finish their degree through the traditional route.

This is a natural evolution. An institution that has produced graduates serving in the PNP and CHR for fifty years understands, better than most, that meaningful education often happens outside a lecture hall. Decades of policing, community protection, and human rights work represent exactly the kind of prior learning that ETEEAP was designed to assess, validate, and formally recognize.

Under RA 12124, applicants who have at least five years of relevant work experience in an industry related to the degree they are pursuing are eligible to apply. For a law enforcement officer with ten or fifteen years of active service, the BS Criminology program offered through ETEEAP at a deputized school represents a real and attainable goal.

If you are wondering whether you qualify, you can check your eligibility directly at eteeap.ph/pages/eligibility.html.

Is a BS Criminology Through ETEEAP Right for You?

The story of PHINMA-COC’s Criminology program over the past fifty years is ultimately a story about the power of sustained, purposeful education. From humble beginnings to a CHED-recognized Center of Excellence, the program grew because it stayed rooted in community service and genuine competence.

If you are a security professional, a barangay official, a paralegal, a law enforcement officer, or anyone with years of hands-on experience in public safety or justice, a BS Criminology through an ETEEAP-deputized school could be the formal recognition your career has been waiting for.

The documents you need to prepare, the qualifications to meet, and the process to follow are all part of the ETEEAP framework established under RA 12124 and its IRR. Starting with a clear understanding of the program will save you time and keep your application on track.

Ready to take the next step?

Visit eteeap.ph/pages/getstarted.html to begin your ETEEAP journey, or browse available programs to find the degree that matches your experience. You can also check our frequently asked questions for practical guidance before you apply.

Your years of service already speak for themselves. ETEEAP gives you the document that says so officially.