Reforms to make PH global education hub

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has sought to promote the Philippines as a viable global education hub, but stressed the need to remove the regulatory and legal impediments currently discouraging many foreigners from studying in the country.

Addressing these challenges might enable the Philippines to create an education market that could generate some $1 billion in revenues yearly, the country’s biggest business organization said in a statement Wednesday.

According to PCCI president George T. Barcelon, the Philippines has what it takes to become a global and regional education destination like Malaysia and Singapore.

Barcelon noted that the factors being considered by foreign students for studying overseas—which included the availability of English instructions, qualifications recognized in their desired work countries, quality faculties and facilities, and low cost of living—were already here.

The government, however, has to implement reforms to encourage more foreign students to enroll, including the easing of Philippine immigration rules.

The heads of higher education institutions (HEIs), in consultation with PCCI earlier this month, noted that “because (many) foreign students want to take up medicine, engineering, accountancy and other long-term degree courses, the effectivity of the student visas for college or graduate degree courses should be as long as normally needed to graduate.”