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• The Status of Education in the Philippines: Progress, Challenges, and the Path Forward

Education in the Philippines has been a cornerstone of national development, with the government and various stakeholders recognizing its vital role in shaping the country’s future. Despite significant strides made over the years, the Philippine education system continues to grapple with numerous challenges that hinder its ability to provide quality education for all. This article will explore the current status of education in the Philippines, highlighting its progress, challenges, and the necessary steps to improve it.

Progress in the Philippine Education System

One of the most notable advancements in the Philippine education system is the implementation of the K-12 curriculum in 2013. This reform extended basic education from 10 to 12 years, aligning the country with international standards. The additional two years of senior high school aim to better prepare students for higher education, employment, or entrepreneurship, addressing the previous system's shortcomings in these areas.

The literacy rate in the Philippines is relatively high compared to other developing nations. This achievement is largely due to the widespread access to primary education, which has seen significant improvement over the years. Government initiatives such as the Enhanced Basic Education Information System (EBEIS) have also contributed to better data management and monitoring of educational outcomes, helping policymakers make more informed decisions.

Challenges Facing the Philippine Education System

Despite these improvements, the Philippine education system faces several pressing challenges. One of the most significant issues is the quality of education. Large class sizes, insufficient instructional materials, and outdated teaching methods are prevalent in many schools, particularly in public institutions. Teacher training is inconsistent, with a notable disparity in the quality of education provided in urban versus rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the digital divide in the Philippines. Many students, especially those from low-income families and remote areas, lacked access to reliable internet and devices necessary for online learning. This digital gap has exacerbated existing educational inequalities, leaving many students behind in their studies.

Another critical issue is the high dropout rate at the secondary and tertiary levels. While enrollment rates at the primary level are high, they decline significantly as students progress through the education system. Contributing factors include poverty, the need for children to work, and geographic isolation. This dropout trend limits the country’s human capital development and hampers economic growth. Learning poverty, defined as the inability of children to read and understand simple text by age 10, is another major concern. This issue stems from the poor quality of instruction and the lack of access to early childhood education. Furthermore, many schools in the Philippines lack basic infrastructure, such as classrooms, toilets, and clean water, which negatively impacts the learning environment, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas.

Addressing the Challenges: The Path Forward

To address these challenges, several steps must be taken. First, there is a need for sustained investment in education, particularly in improving infrastructure, providing adequate learning materials, and enhancing teacher training programs. Ensuring that teachers are well-compensated, supported, and continuously trained is crucial for improving the overall quality of education. The government must also address the digital divide by investing in technology and infrastructure that enable remote learning. Expanding access to affordable internet and providing devices to students, especially those in underserved areas, will help bridge the gap and ensure that all students can participate in the digital learning environment.

Moreover, efforts to reduce dropout rates should focus on addressing the underlying causes, such as poverty and geographic isolation. This could include providing financial assistance to low-income families, implementing more flexible learning arrangements, and improving transportation and access to schools in remote areas. Addressing learning poverty requires a focus on early childhood education and ensuring that all children have access to quality education from an early age. This involves improving the quality of instruction in the early years, developing comprehensive early childhood education programs, and ensuring that children are well-prepared to succeed in primary school.

The education system in the Philippines stands at a crossroads, with significant progress made but also considerable challenges to overcome. The implementation of the K-12 curriculum and improvements in literacy rates are commendable, but issues such as quality of education, digital divide, and dropout rates continue to hinder the country’s educational outcomes. By addressing these challenges through sustained investment, policy reforms, and community engagement, the Philippines can pave the way for a more equitable and effective education system that empowers all students to succeed and contribute to the nation’s development.

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The Philippines’ Basic Education Crisis

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Out of the country’s 327,000-odd school buildings, less than a third are in good condition, according to government figures.

Three Filipino schoolgirls walking home from school on a muddy road in Port Barton, Palawan, the Philippines.

Several recent studies have pointed out the alarming deterioration of the quality of learning in the Philippines, but this was officially confirmed in the basic education report delivered by Vice President Sara Duterte on January 30. Duterte is concurrently serving as secretary to the Department of Education.

Addressing stakeholders with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in attendance, Duterte highlighted the key issues that plague the country’s basic education system before announcing her department’s agenda for reform .

She echoed what previous surveys have indicated about the low academic proficiency of Filipino students. She also identified her department’s biggest concern. “The lack of school infrastructure and resources to support the ideal teaching process is the most pressing issue pounding the Philippine basic education,” she said.

She presented the latest government inventory which shows that out of 327,851 school buildings in the country, only 104,536 are in good condition. There are 100,072 school buildings that need minor repairs, 89,252 that require major repairs, and 21,727 that are set for condemnation.

She added that the procurement practices in the agency “had red flags that demanded immediate actions.” She shared initial findings in the ongoing review of the K-12 curriculum that underscored the failure of the 10-year-old program to deliver satisfactory results.

“The K-12 curriculum promised to produce graduates that are employable. That promise remains a promise,” she said.

Duterte criticized the heavy workload assigned to teachers as she pressed for an immediate review of the current setup in public schools. “This is a system that burdens them with backbreaking and time-consuming administrative tasks, a system that provides no adequate support and robs them of the opportunity to professionally grow and professionally teach, assist, and guide our learners,” she said.

She unveiled her education agenda themed “Matatag: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa,” (Nation for children, children for the nation) and focused on curriculum reform, accelerated delivery of services, promoting the well-being of learners, and providing greater support to teachers.

Responding to the report, Marcos joined Duterte in acknowledging the government’s accountability to the nation’s young learners. “We have failed them,” he said. “We have to admit that. We have failed our children and let us not keep failing them anymore.” He promised to build better infrastructure by investing heavily in education.

He can cite as reference his government’s development plan , which was also released in January, about how the education crisis is linked to “decades of incapacity and suboptimal investment in education.”

Duterte’s admission about the dismal state of basic education was welcomed by some educators. Senators vowed to work with Marcos and Duterte in passing education reform measures. Opposition legislators urged Duterte to hear the views of school unions and student organizations whose appeals for better learning conditions are often dismissed by authorities as part of anti-government propaganda.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) noted that the report “failed to present today’s real extent and gravity of the learning crisis due to the lack of an evidence-based learning assessment conducted after the pandemic-induced school lockdowns.” The group was referring to the prolonged closure of schools under the government of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Her father was president for six years and had not done any significant move to improve the lot of our mentors and of the education system. It is the government who have failed the teachers and our learners,” the group insisted.

It was also under the Duterte government when around 54 Lumad schools for indigenous peoples in Mindanao Island were either suspended or forced to shut down by authorities based on accusations that they were teaching rebellion.

The report also didn’t mention that some of the major questionable procurement transactions in the education department took place under the previous government.

The ACT criticized Duterte’s reform agenda because it features “general promises that lack specific action plans and definite targets.”

“No specific targets and timelines were presented to convincingly show that the agency will cut down the classroom shortage significantly,” it added.

Duterte said the agency will build 6,000 classrooms this year, which is quite small compared to the backlog identified in the report. There’s also no deadline for the electrification of around 1,562 schools that still do not have access to power.

Despite her impassioned plea to uplift the working conditions of educators, Duterte was castigated for being silent about the pending proposals to raise the salary grades of public school teachers.

ACT reminded officials to prove their political will in reversing the decline of Philippine education. “The call to reforming education should not be a grandstanding cry but a sincere pledge to rectify the mistakes and shortcomings of the past and the present,” it said.

This can be measured in at least two ways this year. First, Duterte’s willingness to file appropriate charges against erring officials involved in anomalous transactions under the previous administration. And second, Marcos’ commitment to substantially increase the funding for education.

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The Current Education Issues in the Philippines — and How Childhope Rises to the Challenge

• August 25, 2021

Even before COVID-19 struck and caused problems for millions of families, the country’s financial status is one of the top factors that add to the growing education issues in the Philippines. Furthermore, more children, youth, and adults can’t get a leg up and are thus left behind due to unfair access to learning.

Moving forward, such issues can lead to worse long-term effects. Now, we’ll delve deep into the current status and how we can take part in social efforts to help fight these key concerns of our country.

Crisis in Philippine Education: How is It Really?

Filipinos from rich households or living in cities and developed towns have more access to private schools. In contrast, less favored groups are more bound to deal with lack of classrooms, teachers, and means to sustain topnotch learning.

A 2018 study found that a sample number of 15-year-old Filipino students ranked last in reading comprehension out of 79 countries . They also ranked 78 th in science and math. One key insight from this study is it implies those tested mostly came from public schools. Hence, the crisis also lies in the fact that a lot of Filipinos can’t read or do simple math.

Indeed, it’s clear that there is a class divide between rich and poor students in the country. Though this is the case, less developed states can focus on learning if it’s covered in their top concerns. However, the Philippines doesn’t invest on topnotch learning as compared to its neighbor countries. In fact, many public schools lack computers and other tools despite the digital age. Further, a shortfall in the number of public school teachers is also one of the top issues in the country due to their being among the lowest-paid state workers. Aside from that, more than 3 million children, youth, and adults remain unenrolled since the school shutdown.

It goes without saying that having this constant crisis has its long-term effects. These include mis- and disinformation, poor decision-making, and other social concerns.

The Education System in the Philippines

Due to COVID-19, education issues in the Philippines have increased and received new challenges that worsened the current state of the country. With the sudden events brought about by the health crisis, distance learning modes via the internet or TV broadcasts were ordered. Further, a blended learning program was launched in October 2020, which involves online classes, printouts, and lessons broadcast on TV and social platforms. Thus, the new learning pathways rely on students and teachers having access to the internet.

This yet brings another issue in the current system. Millions of Filipinos don’t have access to computers and other digital tools at home to make their blended learning worthwhile. Hence, the value of tech in learning affects many students. Parents’ and guardians’ top concerns with this are:

• Money for mobile load
• Lack of gadget
• Poor internet signal
• Students’ struggle to focus and learn online
• Parents’ lack of knowledge of their kids’ lessons

It’s key to note that equipped schools have more chances to use various ways to deal with the new concerns for remote learning. This further shows the contrasts in resources and training for both K-12 and tertiary level both for private and public schools.

One more thing that can happen is that schools may not be able to impart the most basic skills needed. To add, the current status can affect how tertiary education aims to impart the respect for and duty to knowledge and critical outlook. Before, teachers handled 40 to 60 students. With the current online setup, the quality of learning can be compromised if the class reaches 70 to 80 students.

Data on Students that Have Missed School due to COVID-19

Of the world’s student population, 89% or 1.52 billion are the children and youth out of school due to COVID-19 closures. In the Philippines, close to 4 million students were not able to enroll for this school year, as per the DepEd. With this, the number of out-of-school youth (OSY) continues to grow, making it a serious issue needing to be checked to avoid worse problems in the long run.

List of Issues When it Comes to the Philippines’ Education System

For a brief rundown, let’s list the top education issues in the Philippines:

• Quality – The results of the 2014 National Achievement Test (NAT) and the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) show that there had been a drop in the status of primary and secondary education.
• Budget – The country remains to have one of the lowest budget allotments to learning among ASEAN countries.
• Cost – There still is a big contrast in learning efforts across various social groups due to the issue of money—having education as a status symbol.
• OSY – The growing rate of OSY becomes daunting due to the adverse effects of COVID-19.
• Mismatch – There is a large sum of people who are jobless or underpaid due to a large mismatch between training and actual jobs.
• Social divide – There is no fair learning access in the country.
• Lack of resources – Large-scale shortfalls in classrooms, teachers, and other tools to sustain sound learning also make up a big issue.

All these add to the big picture of the current system’s growing concerns. Being informed with these is a great first step to know where we can come in and help in our own ways. Before we talk about how you can take part in various efforts to help address these issues, let’s first talk about what quality education is and how we can achieve it.

What Quality Education Means

Now, how do we really define this? For VVOB , it is one that provides all learners with what they need to become economically productive that help lead them to holistic development and sustainable lifestyles. Further, it leads to peaceful and democratic societies and strengthens one’s well-being.

VVOB also lists its 6 dimensions:

• Contextualization and Relevance
• Child-friendly Teaching and Learning
• Sustainability
• Balanced Approach
• Learning Outcomes

Aside from these, it’s also key to set our vision to reach such standards. Read on!

Vision for a Quality Education

Of course, any country would want to build and keep a standard vision for its learning system: one that promotes cultural diversity; is free from bias; offers a safe space and respect for human rights; and forms traits, skills, and talent among others.

With the country’s efforts to address the growing concerns, one key program that is set to come out is the free required education from TESDA with efforts to focus on honing skills, including technical and vocational ones. Also, OSY will be covered in the grants of the CHED.

Students must not take learning for granted. In times of crises and sudden changes, having access to education should be valued. Aside from the fact that it is a main human right, it also impacts the other human rights that we have. Besides, the UN says that when learning systems break, having a sustained state will be far from happening.

How Childhope KalyEskwela Program Deals with Changes

The country rolled out its efforts to help respond to new and sudden changes in learning due to the effects of COVID-19 measures. Here are some of the key ones we can note:

• Continuous learning – Since the future of a state lies on how good the learning system is, the country’s vision for the youth is to adopt new learning paths despite the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
• Action plans – These include boosting the use of special funds to help schools make modules, worksheets, and study guides approved by the DepEd. Also, LGUs and schools can acquire digital tools to help learners as needed.

Now, even with the global health crisis, Childhope Philippines remains true to its cause to help street children:

• Mobile learning – The program provides topnotch access to street children to new learning methods such as non-formal education .
• Access to tools – This is to give out sets of school supplies to help street kids attend and be ready for their remote learning.
• Online learning sessions – These are about Skills for Life, Life Skill Life Goal Planning, Gender Sensitivity, Teenage Pregnancy and Adolescent Reproductive Health.

You may also check out our other programs and projects to see how we help street children fulfill their right to education . You can be a part of these efforts! Read on to know how.

Shed a Light of Hope for Street Children to Reach Their Dreams

Building a system that empowers the youth means helping them reach their full potential. During these times, they need aid from those who can help uphold the rights of the less privileged. These include kids in the streets and their right to attain quality education.

You may hold the power to change lives, one child at a time. Donate or volunteer , and help us help street kids learn and reach their dreams and bring a sense of hope and change toward a bright future. You may also contact us for more details. We’d love to hear from you!

With our aim to reach more people who can help, we’re also in social media! Check out our Facebook page to see latest news on our projects in force.

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Philippine Education Today: Statistics, Challenges, Opportunities

Education isn’t solely about academic achievement; it’s a powerful catalyst for poverty reduction, social equality, and holistic national development. The Philippines’ commitment to enhancing its education landscape echoes its aspiration to unlock the potential of every citizen, regardless of their background.

Since time immemorial, education in the Philippines has played a vital role in building the backbone of society— its leaders. Through education, the country produces its top economists, researchers, politicians, lawyers, teachers, anthropologists, and artists. It’s a cornerstone of national development, contributing to growth, social progress, and stability.

In this article, we delve into important education statistics, enrollment trends, literacy rates, and both global and local challenges, underscoring the Philippines’ commitment to empowering its citizens.

The Philippine Educational Landscape: Trends and Statistics

For the first time in two years, enrollment dropped below the pre-pandemic levels, with only 26.6 million students registered for the 2023-2024 school year. ( philstar ).

The Department of Education (DepEd) noted a decline in registration for the 2023-2024 academic year, marking the end of a two-year growth trend since the onset of the pandemic.

Several factors may be attributed to this decline, including weather disturbances that disrupted the registration process and the ongoing effects of COVID-19. In 2020, the pandemic also led to a drop in enrollment, with the number of enrolled students decreasing from 27.03 million to 26.23 million.

These fluctuations raise concerns about potential learning loss and underscore the challenges in achieving educational stability amid ongoing disruptions.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has projected an attrition rate of 35.15% for universities and colleges in the 2023-2024 academic year. ( Inquirer )

The projections represent a slight decrease from the previous year’s rate of 40.98%.

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rising cost of living and an assistance gap, played significant roles in the increase in attrition rates over the past years, particularly affecting private schools where many students halted their studies due to financial constraints. 

The decrease to 35.15% indicates a positive trend post-COVID, but it calls for a review of the support students need in universities and colleges.

While 49% of the wealthiest segment attends higher education, this figure drops to only 17% for the least affluent. ( Philippine Business for Education )

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines struggled with educational issues, including having equitable access to quality education. This issue remained elusive, with low secondary and tertiary education completion rates.

The pandemic further exacerbated these problems, leading to school closures and a transition to blended learning and online classes, which required access to tablets and laptops. This left over a million students unable to enroll.

Despite the presence of scholarships and support programs, they often fall short of bridging the financial gap. These disparities are interconnected with broader societal inequalities, including healthcare, nutrition, and living conditions, further impeding access to higher education for the less affluent.

A recent statistic shows that the Philippines has reached an impressive 97% literacy rate. ( Esquire )

Recent statistics show that in 2020, the literacy rate was slightly higher among females (97.1%) than males (96.8%), with the National Capital Region (NCR) boasting the highest literacy rate at 98.9%.

Various factors have contributed to this rise, including government-supported free college tuition, benefitting 4.1 million student enrollees in 2022, as reported by ABS CBN News . 

Enrollment trends have shown a preference for courses in high-demand fields, including criminology, engineering, technology, IT-related disciplines, and social and behavioral sciences, indicating Filipinos’ strong desire for education. 

However, while enrollment has increased, graduation rates have remained stagnant, and dropout rates persist at about 34%. This underscores the need to address challenges beyond access, focusing on retention and graduation rates.

DepEd has set classroom-to-student ratios at 1:35 for primary school and 1:40 for junior and senior high school. ( Rappler )

The significant deficit of 91,000 classrooms for the 2023-2024 school year highlights the need for innovative solutions and investments in educational infrastructure. Government institutions can explore public-private partnerships and modern construction methods and utilize available spaces more efficiently to bridge this considerable gap.

Moreover, this situation emphasizes the importance of revisiting classroom-to-student ratios, potentially leading to more optimized and flexible teaching environments.

Challenges in the Philippine Educational System

Amid these opportunities, several persistent challenges continue to hinder the delivery of quality education. Here’s a list to remember:

Insufficient funding 

Insufficient funding has a far-reaching impact on school facilities and teachers’ salaries. Budget-strapped schools struggle to provide resources, scholarships, and tech access. This hampers their ability to implement essential reforms and effectively update curricula.

In the academic year of 2020–2021 , close to four million students could not enroll. Alarmingly, around 50% of out-of-school youths belonged to families within the bottom 30% of the income distribution.

Reduced per-pupil funding rates can lead to a shortage of educators, resulting in imbalanced teacher-to-student ratios, overcrowded classrooms, and decreased interactions between teachers and students.

Educational disparities

The lack of more uniform funding can cause educational disparities, highlighting a stark urban-rural divide and showcasing significant variances in academic quality. The educational gap can also be seen in the courses offered, as rural universities often can’t provide specialized programs like BS Tourism Management due to a lack of proper facilities and resources.

In universities in the Philippines, the lack of funding typically shows that urban areas enjoy better-funded and more technologically equipped schools, offering a broader range of educational opportunities and extracurricular activities. On the other hand, students and schools in rural regions face resource limitations, inadequate facilities, and a scarcity of qualified teachers.

The lack of funding means an inability to purchase more up-to-date equipment. Moreover, it deters the inflow of educators to these areas because they know they won’t be compensated well. This discrepancy perpetuates unequal opportunities for students, ultimately impacting their learning outcomes and prospects.

Curriculum and teaching issues

The Philippines grapples with an outdated curriculum that often fails to align with the job market’s and society’s evolving needs. This leaves students ill-prepared for the demands of the modern world.

Additionally, conventional teaching methods emphasize memorization and teacher-centered instruction when the system could explore many more teaching methods. Focusing on these teaching methods hinders critical thinking and creativity , impacting students’ ability to adapt to a rapidly changing world. 

Digital divide

The reliance on online learning during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaping disparities in digital access. Students in remote regions often lacked internet connectivity and devices, forcing educators to explore unconventional means to reach them.

This digital divide is detrimental to university students, especially those pursuing technology-related courses like BS Information Technology, as they require access to advanced technology and uninterrupted internet connectivity.

Teacher shortages

The Philippines faces a severe teacher shortage driven by high student-to-teacher ratios, budget constraints, and sluggish hiring procedures.

DepEd Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organization Development Gloria Jumamil-Mercado noted that they ideally aim for a student-to-teacher ratio of 30 students per teacher. However, she shares, “Our shortage right now is at 86,000 teachers, and for 2024, we have an allocation of 20,000. The ratio that we have currently is still 1:40.”

This scarcity of educators disproportionately impacts private schools, mainly due to the extended basic education program (K-12). Competent teachers are increasingly drawn to public schools, affecting teacher retention and limiting educational resources in remote areas.

Limited resources and low teacher salaries lead to issues in education, including increased dropout rates, more out-of-school youth, and bureaucratic inefficiencies impacting the overall quality of education.

Opportunities in the Philippine Educational System

Despite the challenges, the Philippine educational system presents a promising landscape with opportunities for transformation and progress. Here are some of these opportunities:

Investment prospects

The Philippine education system offers investment opportunities to improve facilities, create new teaching positions, develop human resources, and acquire learning tools.

These investments not only foster educational improvement but also offer financial returns. More investments mean more opportunities for students to attain quality education, including in-demand degrees like BS Business Administration, with reduced financial concerns.

Strengthening public-private partnerships

Joint initiatives that bring together the strengths of both the public and private sectors can significantly improve funding for education. By bridging the gap between these sectors, the government can ensure equal opportunities for students and teachers, regardless of their chosen sector.

By combining resources and expertise, public-private partnerships drive innovation and address critical challenges in the Philippine education system, improving accessibility and quality.

Exploration of varied teaching methods

Diversifying teaching approaches opens opportunities for a more inclusive and effective education system with meaningful learning experiences . These diverse teaching methods include peer learning, case-based learning, team-based learning, active learning, problem-based learning, and experiential learning.

Adapting instruction for diverse learning styles and student needs improves engagement, supports educators, and enhances the learning experience.

Comprehensive technology integration 

Though relatively new , technology integration is poised to steer the Philippine education system to a more long-term and effective road. Technology enables remote learning, making education accessible even in remote areas.

Furthermore, technology-driven innovations can enhance teaching methods, as discussed in the previous point, and engage students effectively—making education more adaptable, interactive, and practical.

Improvement of system-teacher relations

By fostering a stronger connection between the education system and teachers, schools can cultivate a more supportive environment. This, in turn, has the potential to elevate job satisfaction among teachers, with positive ripple effects on student learning outcomes. 

Such an approach enhances teachers’ well-being and job performance. It fosters harmony, empowering all sectors toward a more refined education system.

Walk the Path to Educational Excellence

Knowledge is the cornerstone of progress and the transformation of lives. In the Philippines, many universities offer diverse programs, including sought-after degrees like BS Biology, BS Medical Technology, and BS Accountancy, reflecting the commitment to accessible, high-quality education.

With how many universities are in the Philippines and the boundless opportunities that await, it’s only fitting to align yourself with a school that speaks the same advocacies of achieving feats and fostering multiple intelligences.

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– https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/12/2295783/deped-enrollmentdips-lower-pre-pandemic-levels-266-million-students – https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1839954/dropout-rate-in-universities-colleges-at-35-15-in-sy-2023-2024-says-ched – https://www.pbed.ph/blogs/47/PBEd/State%20of%20Philippine%20Education%20Report%202023 – https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/11/education-an-instrument-of-progress – https://www.rappler.com/nation/deped-report-classroom-shortage-school-year-2023-2024/ – https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/literacy-rate-philippines-a00289-20230710 – https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/06/19/2106653/isangkilosbayan-pursuing-inclusive-education-rural-areas – https://pids.gov.ph/details/the-philippine-education-system-in-crisis – https://pids.gov.ph/details/news/in-the-news/educational-challenges-in-the-philippines – https://edcom2.gov.ph/villanueva-flags-unfilled-positions-teacher-shortage-in-deped/ – https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/reports/philippines/2017-report/economy/a-thorough-examination-substantial-reform-has-brought-with-it-a-variety-of-challenges – https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/29/22/how-can-the-philippines-improve-its-educational-system – https://arowanaimpactcapital.com/education-in-the-philippines/ – https://cei.umn.edu/teaching-resources/inclusive-teaching-predominantly-white-institution/pedagogy-diversifying-your-teaching-methods-learning-activities-and-assignments – https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/796871601650398190/pdf/Philippines-Digital-Economy-Report-2020-A-Better-Normal-Under-COVID-19-Digitalizing-the-Philippine-Economy-Now.pdf

UNESCO and DepEd launch the 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report in the Philippines

MANILA, 25 November 2020. Along with government officials, international aid agencies, education and humanitarian experts, policymakers, teachers and learners, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Department of Education (DepEd) launched the 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report on 25 November 2020 virtually.

With the theme “Inclusion and education: All means All,” the national launch was organized to increase awareness of the Report’s messages and recommendations on inclusion in education with a wider education community, with those working on humanitarian responses, and with government officials and policymakers. The event was broadcasted live on the official Facebook of UNESCO Jakarta and the Philippines’ Department of Education.

As part of its progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4)and its targets, the 2020 GEM Report ( https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373721 ) provides an in-depth analysis of key factors in exclusion of learners in education systems worldwide, such as background, identity and ability (i.e. gender, age, location, poverty, disability, ethnicity, indigeneity, language, religion, migration or displacement status, sexual orientation or gender identity expression, incarceration, beliefs and attitudes).

One of the numerous examples highlighted in the report is the gender-responsive basic education policy created by DepEd. The policy calls for an end to discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity by defining ways for education administrators and school leaders such as improving curricula and teacher education programmes with the content on bullying, discrimination, gender, sexuality and human rights.

The Report also identifies the heightening of exclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it has shown that about 40% of low and lower-middle income countries have not supported disadvantaged learners during temporary school shutdown. The event featured speeches and presentations from experts on inclusion from both government and non-governmental organizations, policy makers and practitioners, including a message from UNESCO’s Global Champion of Inclusive Education, Ms Brina Kei Maxino, and performances by the world-renowned and 2009 UNESCO Artist for Peace, the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

The highlight of the event was the live discussion between DepEd Secretary, Professor Emeritus Leonor Magtolis-Briones, and the Director of UNESCO Jakarta, Dr Shahbaz Khan, as they explored the findings of the report and deliberated on issues such as inclusion and education and its implementation; adjustment on the school policies during Covid-19; a horizontal collaboration between government and non-government stakeholders; education budget and spending; grants for students; and, social programs to support education.

Alongside today’s publication, UNESCO GEM Report team has also launched a new website called Profiles Enhancing Education Reviews (PEER) that contains information on laws and policies concerning inclusion in education for every country in the world. According to UNESCO, PEER shows that although many countries still practice education segregation, which reinforces stereotyping, discrimination and alienation, some countries like the Philippines have already crafted education policies strong on inclusiveness that target vulnerable groups.

The 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report urges countries to focus on those left behind as schools reopen to foster more resilient and equal societies.

• Global Education Monitoring Report

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• Education for sustainable development
• Country page: Philippines
• UNESCO Office in Jakarta and Regional Bureau for Science
• SDG: SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
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Overview of Education in the Philippines

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• Lorraine Pe Symaco 3 &
• Marie Therese A. P. Bustos 4  

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

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The Philippines has embarked on significant education reforms for the past three decades to raise the quality of education at all levels and address inclusion and equity issues. The country’s AmBisyon Natin 2040 or the national vision for a prosperous and healthy society by 2040 is premised on education’s role in developing human capital through quality lifelong learning opportunities. Education governance is handled by three government agencies overseeing the broad education sector of the country. At the same time, regional initiatives relating to ASEAN commitments are also witnessed in the sector. However, despite the mentioned education reforms and initiatives, the education system remains beset by challenges. This chapter will give readers an overview of the education system of the Philippines through an account of its historical context and its main providers and programs. Key reforms and issues within the sector are also discussed.

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Useful Websites

Ambisyon Natin 2040 . http://2040.neda.gov.ph/

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) https://ched.gov.ph/

Department of Education (DepED). https://www.deped.gov.ph/

ECCD Council of the Philippines (ECCD Council). https://eccdcouncil.gov.ph/

National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). https://www.ncda.gov.ph/

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) https://www.tesda.gov.ph/

UNESCO Institute for Statistics Philippines profile. http://uis.unesco.org/en/country/ph?theme=education-and-literacy

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Symaco, L.P., Bustos, M.T.A.P. (2022). Overview of Education in the Philippines. In: Symaco, L.P., Hayden, M. (eds) International Handbook on Education in South East Asia. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8136-3_1-1

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Education System Profiles

Education in the philippines.

Wilson Macha, Chris Mackie, and Jessica Magaziner, Knowledge Analysts at WES

The Philippines is a unique country. Only slightly larger than the U.S. state of Arizona in land mass, it is the world’s second-largest archipelago after Indonesia, consisting of more than 7,000 islands. It is also the world’s 12th most-populous country with just over 103 million people as of 2016 .

Notably, the Philippines is the only pre-dominantly Christian country in Asia (roughly 80 percent of the population is Roman Catholic). Equally notable, English is a national language in the Philippines next to Filipino (Tagalog) and spoken by about two-thirds of the population, although there are still some 170 additional Malayo-Polynesian languages in use throughout the archipelago.

Both the country’s religious makeup and its anglophony are the result of colonialism. The Philippines was a Spanish colony for more than three centuries, a fact that shaped religious belief systems, before the U.S. occupied it in 1898 and ruled the country for nearly five decades, until independence in 1946. U.S. colonialism had a formative impact on the development of the modern Philippine education system and various other aspects of Philippine society. With the imposition of English in sectors like education, news media, and trade, the Spanish language became marginalized and faded. In 1987, Spanish was dropped as an official language and is today only spoken by a small minority of Filipinos.

Deteriorating Human Rights Situation

In 2013, the Philippine government initiated the extension of the country’s basic education cycle from ten to twelve years – a major reform that former Education Secretary Armin Luistro has called “the most comprehensive basic education reform initiative ever done in the country since the establishment of the public education system more than a century ago ”. Over the past two years, however, news from the Philippines was mostly dominated by extralegal killings, after populist President Rodrigo Duterte, elected in 2016, unleashed a brutal “war on drugs” that Human Rights Watch has described as the “ worst human rights crisis since the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos”. In a quest to eradicate the sale and use of drugs, more than 12,000 people, including many innocent victims, have been gunned down by the country’s police, armed forces and vigilantes without any form of legal process. Most of the victims are poor and from the country’s congested cities.

Other recent developments included an intensification of the armed conflict in the southern region of the country, in which separatist rebels and Islamist terror groups like Abu Sayyaf are fighting for greater autonomy or the creation of an independent state for the Muslim Moro minority (officially 5 percent of the population, primarily located on the island of Mindanao). Heavy military fighting in 2017 triggered the imposition of martial law in the Mindanao region, with President Duterte publicly contemplating the extension of martial law to other parts of the country  – an announcement that raised the specter of a further erosion of civil liberties in the Philippines.

Duterte’s “war on drugs” and his authoritarian ambitions are not without detractors – the Catholic Church of the Philippines, for instance, has condemned the extrajudicial killings. As of now, however, Duterte’s hard-line policies are supported by a majority of the Filipino population. The President held a sky-high approval rating of 80 percent in opinion polls conducted in December 2017 – a far higher rating than any of the three preceding presidents .

Economic Outlook and Poverty

The deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines has so far done little to slow economic growth. The Philippine economy is booming and has, in fact, grown faster than all other Asian economies except China and Vietnam in recent years. In 2017, the country’s GDP increased by 6.7 percent and is projected to continue to grow by more than 6 percent annually in 2018 and 2019 .

By some measures, economic growth in the Philippines is socially inclusive : according to official statistics , the country’s poverty rate decreased from 26.6 percent in 2006 to 21.6 percent in 2015. The World Bank noted that between “…. 2012 and 2015, household income among the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution rose by an average annual rate of 7.6 percent”. At the same time, poverty remains a major and pervasive problem in the Philippines, with efforts to reduce the problem progressing slowly and lagging behind improvements made in other Southeast Asian countries. Income disparities are rampant and economic growth is mostly concentrated in urban centers, while many rural regions remain plagued by extreme levels of poverty. According to  the Asian Development Bank , close to 25 million Filipinos still existed on less than USD $1.51 per day in 2010.

Problems in Education and Education Reforms: An Overview

In 2017, the National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines published the Philippine Development Plan, 2017-2022 , detailing the country’s aspirations for the next five years. The plan envisions the Philippines becoming an upper-middle income country by 2022, based on more inclusive economic growth that will reduce inequalities and poverty, particularly in rural areas. Human capital development is a key element in this strategy and has been the impetus behind various political reforms over the past years.  Recent education reforms have sought to boost enrollment levels, graduation rates and mean years of schooling in elementary and secondary education, and to improve the quality of higher education.

Problems in the School Sector

Many of these reforms were adopted against a backdrop of declining educational standards in the Philippine education system during the first decade of the 21st century . A UNESCO mid-decade assessment report of Southeast Asian education systems, published in 2008, for example, found that participation and achievement rates in basic education in the Philippines had fallen dramatically, owed to chronic underfunding. After rising strongly from 85.1 percent in 1991 to 96.8 percent in 2000, net enrollment rates at the elementary level, for instance, had dropped back down to 84.4 percent by 2005. Also by mid-decade, elementary school dropout rates had regressed back to levels last seen in the late 1990s. The completion rate in elementary school was estimated to be below 70 percent in 2005.

At the secondary level, problems were omnipresent as well: the net enrollment rate in secondary education, for example, had by 2005 dropped down to 58.5 percent, after increasing from 55.4 percent to around 66 percent between 1991 and 2000. Tellingly perhaps, the country’s youth literacy rate , while still being high by regional standards, fell from 96.6 percent in 1990 to 95.1 percent in 2003, making the Philippines the only country in South-East Asia with declining youth literacy rates.

Such deficiencies were reflected in the poor performance of Filipino students in international assessment tests, such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) . In 2003, the last year the Philippines participated in the study, the country ranked only 34th out of 38 countries in high school mathematics and 43rd out of 46 countries in high school science. Education spending as a percentage of overall government expenditures, meanwhile, declined from 18.2 percent in 1998 to 12.4 percent in 2005 . Between 2003 and 2005 alone, average annual spending  per public elementary and secondary school student fell from PHP 9,500 (USD $182.7) to PHP 8,700 (USD $167.3) in real terms.

Policy Response

To address these shortcomings, the Philippine government initiated structural changes in the basic education system and significantly boosted education expenditures. Crucially, the “ Kindergarten Education Act ”, passed in 2011, enacted a mandatory pre-elementary year of Kindergarten education, while the “ 2013 Basic Education Act ”, extended the elementary and secondary education cycle from 10 to 12 years. The importance of this new 12-year education cycle (K-12), which adds two years of mandatory senior secondary schooling for every Filipino student, cannot be understated. Until the reforms, the Philippines was one of only three countries in the world (the other two being Angola and Djibouti), with a 10-year basic education cycle. As such, the K-12 reforms are an essential step to improve the global competitiveness of the Philippines and bring the country up to international standards. Implementation of the new system is progressing on schedule and the first student cohort will graduate from the new 12-year system in 2018.

In addition, education spending was increased greatly: between 2005, when it hit its nadir, and 2014, government spending on basic education, for instance, more than doubled. Spending per student in the basic education system reached PHP 12,800 (USD $246) in 2013, a drastic increase over 2005 levels. And education expenditures have grown even further since: In 2017, for instance, allocations for the Department of Education were increased by fully 25 percent , making education the largest item on the national budget. In 2018, allocations for education increased by another 1.7 percent and currently stand at PHP 533.31 billion (USD $ 10.26 billion), or 24 percent of all government expenditures (the second largest item on the national budget). The higher education budget, likewise, was increased by almost 45 percent between 2016 and 2017. It should be noted, however, that some of the spending increases are simply designed to cover additional costs stemming from the K-12 reforms. To accommodate the reforms, 86,478 classrooms were constructed, and over 128,000 new teachers hired in the Philippines between 2010 and 2015 alone.

Outcomes of the Reforms Thus Far

The government investments in education have led to substantial advances in standard indicators of learning conditions , such as student-teacher and student-classroom ratios, both of which improved significantly from 2010 to 2013, from 38:1 to 29:1 and from 64:1 to 47:1, respectively. Elementary school completion rates also climbed from their 2005 low of under 70 percent to more than 83 percent in 2015 . Net secondary school enrollment rates, meanwhile, increased from under 60 percent in 2005 to 68.15 percent in 2015.

The biggest advances, however, were made in pre-school education . After the introduction of one year of mandatory Kindergarten education in 2011, the net enrollment rate in Kindergarten jumped from 55 percent (2010) to 74.6 percent in 2015. Also encouraging was the fact that poorer families benefited strongly from the reforms. The World Bank noted that in “2008, the gross enrollment rate in kindergarten for the poorest 20 percent of the population was 33 percent, but this had increased to 63 percent by 2013. Levels of kindergarten enrollment in the Philippines now compare favorably with rates in other middle-income countries both within the region and globally”.

That said, the Philippines keeps trailing other South East Asian countries in a variety of education indicators and the government has so far fallen short on a number of its own reform goals. Strong disparities continue to exist between regions and socioeconomic classes – while 81 percent of eligible children from the wealthiest 20 percent of households attended high school in 2013 , only 53 percent of children from the poorest 20 percent of households did the same. Progress on some indicators is sluggish, if not regressing: completion rates at the secondary level, for example, declined from 75 percent in 2010 to 74 percent in 2015, after improving in the years between.

Importantly, the Philippines government continues to spend less per student as a share of per capita GDP than several other Southeast Asian countries, the latest budget increases notwithstanding. It also remains to be seen how the K-12 reforms will affect indicators like teacher-to-student ratios. In October 2015, it was estimated, that the government still needed to hire 43,000 teachers and build 30,000 classrooms in order to implement the changes. Strong population growth will also continue to put pressures on the education system. The Philippines has one of the highest birth rates in Asia, and the government expects the population to grow to 142 million people by 2045.

Outcomes in Higher Education

In higher education, the government seeks to expand access and participation, but even more importantly, tries to improve the quality of education. The Philippine National Development Plan is quite outspoken on this subject and notes that while “the number of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines is ten times more than its neighboring countries’, the Philippines’ lackluster performance in producing innovators… , researchers (81 researchers per million population versus 205 in Indonesia and 115 in Vietnam), and knowledge producers (28 out of 777 journals or 3.6 percent are listed under Thomson Reuters, Scopus, or both) indicates … that the country has lagged behind many of its ASEAN neighbors in producing the … researchers, innovators … and solutions providers needed to effectively function in a knowledge economy”.

Participation in higher education in the Philippines has, without question, expanded strongly in recent years. The gross tertiary enrollment rate increased from 27.5 percent in 2005 to 35.7 percent in 2014 , while the total number of students enrolled in tertiary education grew from 2.2 million in 1999 to 4.1 million in 2015/16. Filipino experts have noted that the number of graduates from higher education programs has recently “ exceeded expectations .”  The bold decision of President Duterte in 2017 to make education at state universities and colleges tuition-free may help to further boost enrollments, even though critics contend that the costly move will sap the public budget while providing few discernible social benefits . These critics maintain that tuition-free education will primarily benefit wealthier students since only 12 percent of students at state institutions come from low-income households .

At the same time, the K-12 reforms will inevitably lead to decreased higher education enrollments, at least in the short-term, since many of the students that would usually have entered higher education after grade 10 now have to complete two additional years of school. Between 2015/16 and 2016/17, the total number of tertiary students already dropped from 4.1 million to 3.6 million – a decrease that is particularly apparent when looking at undergraduate enrollments. Data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shows that undergraduate enrollments dropped by 12.7 percent between the 2015/16 and 2016/17 academic years, and is expected to drop by a further 22 percent in 2017/18, before starting to recover in 2018/19, when the first K-12 cohorts start to enter higher education.

This downturn will affect HEIs and lead to declining revenues during the transition period – a fact that will primarily hurt private HEIs, since nearly all of their funding comes from tuition fees. As a result, CHED anticipates that approximately 25,000 staff , including faculty and administrators, will lose their jobs. Changes will also be made to the undergraduate curriculum. Since the previous curriculum compensated for the fact that students entered with only ten years of secondary education, the revised curriculum will have greatly reduced general education requirements .

Quality Improvements and Internationalization

Regarding qualitative improvements, achievements are notable in a number of areas, including a slight increase in the number of higher education faculty holding higher degrees. The percentage of instructors with master’s and doctoral degrees grew from 38.87 percent and 11.09 percent in 2010, respectively, to 40.34 and 12.62 percent in 2015 . The number of HEIs with accredited education programs, which is not mandatory in the Philippines, increased by more than 40 percent between 2010 and 2016/17 , while the pass rates of candidates sitting for professional licensing exams , a measure of academic effectiveness, jumped from 33.9 to 58.6 percent between 2010 and 2015.

In an attempt to boost the country’s research output, the government in 2017 also institutionalized the so-called “ Balik (Returning) Scientist Program,” an initiative that was first created in the 1970s to incentivize highly skilled Filipino researchers working abroad to return to the Philippines. Benefits provided through the program include research grants, free health insurance, and relocation allowances. As international education consultant Roger Chao Jr has pointed out , it remains to be seen, however, how effective the program will be, given that the offered incentives and research funding may not be competitive enough to lure established scientists back to the Philippines.

Like most Asian countries, the Philippines also seeks to internationalize its education system and promotes transnational education (TNE) partnerships with foreign HEIs. To formalize this process and assure the quality of the programs offered, CHED in 2016 established concrete guidelines for transnational programs. Importantly, programs can only be offered in collaboration with a Philippine partner institution. Both the foreign provider and the Philippine partner institution must also be officially recognized and seek authorization from CHED, which is initially granted for a one-year period for graduate programs, and for two years in the case of undergraduate programs.

CHED has entered agreements with a number of countries , predominantly in Europe, but its most significant relationship is with the United Kingdom. The British Council , the U.K.’s designated organization to promote international exchange, considers the Philippines an ideal location for a TNE hub, due to its expanding population of university-age students, CHED’s commitment to internationalization, and the use of English as a language of instruction in a majority of higher education programs. In 2016, CHED and the British Council entered an agreement designed to “support twinning, joint degree programmes, dual degrees and franchise models in priority fields of study between institutions in the Philippines and the UK .” In 2017, this was followed by ten Philippine universities, including the country’s top institutions, being designated to receive seed funding to establish TNE programs with British partner universities. The initiative is funded with UK £ 1million (USD $1.4 million) from CHED and UK £ 500,000 (USD $698,000) from the British Council . Programs are slated to commence in the 2018/19 academic year.

International Student Mobility

Outbound mobility.

The thriving TNE partnership between the UK and the Philippines will offer Filipino students access to UK education programs and reflects that there is a growing demand for international education in the country. Over the past 15+ years, the number of Filipino students enrolled in degree programs abroad alone almost tripled from 5,087 students in 1999 to 14,696 students in 2016 ( UNESCO Institute of Statistics – UIS). Given the population size of the Philippines, however, this is not an overly high number when compared, for example, to Vietnam’s 63,703 outbound degree students in 2016. The outbound mobility rate (number of outbound students among all students) in the Philippines is low and remains significantly below the outbound mobility rate of neighboring countries like Malaysia, Vietnam or Indonesia.

That said, the number of outbound degree students has increased consistently over the years and there is good reason to believe that international student flows from the Philippines will expand in the future. Population growth and the prospect of increasing economic prosperity imply that the total number of tertiary students in the country is set to increase rapidly – the Philippines is expected to be among the world’s top 20 countries in terms of tertiary enrollments by 2035 . Filipino students are also well-suited for international mobility, due to their English language abilities. What is more, the K-12 reforms will remove barriers to academic mobility: In an international environment accustomed to 12-year secondary school qualifications, the anachronistic 10-year school system hampered the mobility of Filipino students, both in terms of formal academic qualifications and academic preparedness. Many foreign institutions, for instance, considered the Philippine Bachelor’s degree only equivalent to two years of undergraduate study – a fact that complicated graduate admissions. As we pointed out in an earlier article on the subject, the K-12 reforms are therefore likely to increase outbound mobility .

Future mobility from and to the Philippines may also be facilitated by further economic and political integration in the ASEAN community. The long-term potential for intra-regional student mobility in this dynamic region of 600 million people is tremendous, especially since the ASEAN member states are trying to harmonize education systems and ease international mobility.

Destination Countries

According to the latest available UIS data , Australia is presently the most popular destination country of Filipino students enrolled in degree programs abroad, hosting 4,432 Filipino students (2015). The U.S. was the second most popular destination with just over 3,000 degree students. New Zealand, the U.K. and Saudi Arabia rounded out the top five with 1,105, 698 and 693 Filipino students, respectively. Italy hosted 561 Filipino students and Japan hosted 488. The remaining three countries of the top ten, the United Arab Emirates, Korea and Canada, all had Filipino students numbering in the mid to low 400s.

Four of the top five destinations are English-speaking countries, demonstrating the interest of Filipino students in English-language destinations, with the popularity of Australia and New Zealand likely owed to their geographic proximity. There have been some shifts in destinations, however. While Australia has now overtaken the U.S., which used to be top destination until recently, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as new study destinations among the top ten. The latter trend coincides with strong increases in labor migration to these two countries, both of which have been the main destinations of Filipino overseas workers for years. There are also a relatively large number of international Philippine schools in Saudi Arabia, catering to the children of these migrant workers. It is well possible that some of these children continue their post-secondary education in Saudi Arabia.

When comparing international student statistics, it is important to note that these statistics can show substantially deviating numbers, due to factors like different methods of data capture or different definitions of ‘international student’ (degree students versus students enrolled in language programs) etc. The Canadian government, for instance, reports vastly different international student numbers than the UIS. According to these statistics , the number of Filipino international students in Canada has increased by 275 percent between 2006 and 2015, from 817 students to 3,065 students, making the Philippines the 20th largest source country of international students in Canada in 2015. The Canadian government seeks to further boost the inflow of Filipino students, and in 2017 launched a so-called “ Study Direct Stream Program ” in partnership with CHED. The program will streamline and shorten visa processing times, and ease the financial documentation requirements for Filipino students.

In the U.S., by contrast, the Philippines is presently neither a major sending country nor a dynamic growth market. Enrollments of Filipino students have remained largely stagnant and slightly decreased over the past 15+ years. According to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Open Doors data, there were 3,130 Filipino students in the U.S. in 2000/01, 3,758 students in 2005/06 and 3,006 students in 2016/17. The current number reflects an increase of 4.6 percent over 2015/16, but given the fluctuations in previous years, it remains to be seen if this can be taken as a sign of a lasting upswing. As of now, the long-standing popularity of the U.S. as an immigration destination for Filipinos is not matched by corresponding international student flows. The Filipino students that are in the U.S. are predominantly enrolled at the undergraduate level (54 percent), while 30 percent studied in graduate programs and 16 percent were registered in non-degree programs and OPT .

Inbound Student Mobility

There is only limited data available for inbound students in the Philippines. The number of foreign students in the country is small by international comparison, but not insignificant – the Philippines hosts substantially more foreign students than the highly dynamic outbound market of Vietnam, for example.

According to the UIS , the number of inbound degree-seeking students in the Philippines has fluctuated strongly over the years and ranged from 3,514 students in 1999 to 5,136 students in 2006 and 2,665 students in 2008, the last year for which the UIS provides data. More recent data from CHED and the IIE’s Project Atlas (which is based on CHED data) reports higher, if equally fluctuating, numbers. Accordingly, there were 7,766 foreign students in the country in 2011/12, followed by 6,432 students in 2014/15, and 8,208 students in 2015/16.

While there is no current data on countries of origin, most of these students come from other Asian countries. According to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, the top two sending countries between 2004 and 2009 were South Korea and China – with strong growth rates in both cases. Also notable are a growing number of Indian students and a tremendous increase in Iranian student enrollments during that time period. In 2011/12, Koreans accounted for 21.5 percent of international enrollments, followed by Iran and China, with slightly above 13 percent of students each.

In a 2013 study on student mobility in Asia, UNESCO noted that the Philippines benefits from “the use of English as the medium of instruction…; a wide variety of academic programmes; the relatively low cost of living and affordable tuition and other school fees”. But what the strong presence of Korean students, in particular, suggests is that the country’s popularity as an English language training (ELT) destination is one of the strongest drivers of inbound mobility. For Koreans and other Asian students, the Philippines is a popular ELT “budget destination” that offers much lower tuition fees than the UK, Australia, Canada or the U.S., is easily reachable via short direct flights, and affords students the opportunity to combine ELT with beachside vacations.

As a result, ELT enrollments in the country are surging. The Philippines’ Ambassador to the U.S. affirmed in 2015 , that “there are more and more Koreans that are studying English in the Philippines… In 2004, there were about 5,700… The following year, it tripled to about 17,000, in 2012 it was about 24,000. So we’re seeing an increasing number of Koreans. But they’re also from other countries: Libya, Brazil, Russia.” ICEF Monitor recently noted that this boom has caused more and more ELT providers to set up shop in the Philippines, and led the Filipino government to aggressively market the country as an ELT destination.

Administration of the Education System

Education in the Philippines is administered by three different government agencies, each exercising largely exclusive jurisdiction over various aspects of the education system.

The Department of Education oversees all aspects of elementary, secondary and informal education. It supervises all elementary and secondary schools, both public and private. The Department is divided  into two components: the central office in Manila and various field offices, of which there are currently 17 regional offices and 221 provincial and city schools divisions. The central office sets overall policies for the basic education sector, while the field offices implement policies at the local level. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has its own department of education, but for the most part follows national guidelines and uses the national school curriculum.

The Department of Education also has a number of agencies supervising programs that fall outside the country’s formal education system. The Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) , for instance, oversees education programs designed for “out-of-school children, youth and adults who need basic and functional literacy skills, knowledge and values.” Two of its major programs are the Basic Literacy Program (BLP) , which aims to eliminate illiteracy among out-of-school children and adults, as well as the “ Continuing Education: Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program”, which helps school dropouts to complete basic education outside the formal education system.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the Philippines is supervised by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) .  TESDA oversees TVET providers, both public and private, and acts as a regulatory body, setting training standards, curricula and testing requirements for vocational programs.

The main authority in tertiary education is the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) . Directly attached to the Office of the President, CHED has far-reaching responsibilities. It develops and implements higher education policies and provides quality assurance through its oversight of post-secondary programs and institutions, both public and private. CHED sets minimum standards for academic programs and the establishment of new HEIs. It also suggests funding levels for public HEIs and determines how HEIs can use these funds.

Elementary Education

Elementary education in the Philippines consists of six years of schooling, covering grades 1 to 6 (ages 6 to 12). Before the adoption of the K-12 reforms, elementary education was the only compulsory part of the basic education cycle. With the reforms, however, compulsory education has been extended and is now mandatory for all years of schooling, inclusive of grade 12.

It is now also mandatory that children complete one-year of pre-school Kindergarten education before enrolling in elementary school. While it appears that this is not yet consistent practice throughout the entire country, current legislation mandates that all children enroll in Kindergarten at the age of five. Kindergarten education, like all other parts of public schooling, is free of charge at public schools. Upon completion of the mandatory pre-school year, pupils are eligible to attend elementary school – there are no separate admission requirements.

The elementary school curriculum was recently revised and includes standard subjects like Filipino, English, mathematics, science, social science, Philippine history and culture, physical education and arts. One notable and important change, however, is that minority languages (“mother tongues”) are now being used as the language of instruction in the first years of elementary education in areas where these languages are the lingua franca . There are currently 19 recognized minority languages in use. English and Filipino are introduced as languages of instruction from grades 4 to 6, in preparation for their exclusive use in junior and senior secondary high school.  

Secondary Education

Pre-reform : Prior to the 2016/17 school year, when the first cohort entered grade 11 of the new senior secondary cycle, basic education ended after four years of secondary education (grades 7 to 10). Although freely available in public schools to all interested students, these four final years of basic education were not compulsory. Graduating students were awarded a Certificate of Graduation at the end of grade 10, and would progress either to higher education, TVET, or employment.

Post-reform: With the enactment of the K-12 reforms, secondary education was extended from four to six years and divided into two levels: four years of Junior High School (JHS) and two years of Senior High School (SHS), giving the basic education cycle a structure of K+6+4+2. All six years of secondary education are compulsory and free of charge at public schools. Since the construction of public senior high schools and classrooms still lags behind the need created by the K-12 reforms, however, a new voucher system was put in place to subsidize SHS study at private schools. That said, the voucher amount is capped and does not fully cover tuition at most private schools, keeping this option out of reach for socially highly disadvantaged families.  

Private Schools

The size of the private sector in the Philippine school system is considerable. The government already decades before the K-12 reforms started to promote public-private partnerships in education. In these partnerships, the government sponsors study at low-cost private schools with tuition waivers and subsidies for teacher salaries in an attempt to “decongest” the overburdened public system. The Philippine “Educational Service Contracting” program (ESC) is, in fact, one of the largest such systems in the world . It provides the state with a way to provide education at a lower cost than in public schools, with parents picking up the rest of the tab – a fact that has caused critics to charge that the government is neglecting its obligation to provide free universal basic education .

Private high schools in the Philippines teach the national curriculum, must be officially approved and abide by regulations set forth by the Department of Education. In 2014, 18 percent of secondary students, or 1.3 million students , were enrolled in private schools. Fully 5,130 out of 12,878 secondary schools in the Philippines in 2012/13 (about 40 percent) were privately owned. The number of ESC tuition grantees increased by 40 percent between 1996 and 2012 and accounted for almost 60 percent of all private high school students in 2014, reflecting that publicly subsidized private education is a growing trend with increasing numbers of low-cost private schools now entering the Philippine market in the wake of the K-12 reforms.  

Junior High School (JHS)

JHS comprises grades 7 to 10 (ages 12 to 16). Students who complete elementary education at grade 6 automatically progress to JHS – there are no separate entry requirements at both the junior and senior secondary levels, although private schools may require passing of an entrance examination. The JHS core curriculum includes the same subjects as the elementary curriculum, with English and Filipino being used as the language of instruction, depending on the subject.

Pupils are assessed based on written assignments, performance tasks and quarterly assessments (based on tests and/or performance tasks). The minimum passing grade for both single subjects and the cumulative year-end average required for promotion is the grade of 75 (out of 100). Students with lower grades must take remedial classes and improve their grades in order to progress to the next grade. There are no final graduation examinations at both the junior and senior secondary levels.

Pupils interested in pursuing TVET may simultaneously start to explore Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) subjects in grades 7 and 8, and have the option to start studying these subjects more extensively in grades 9 and 10. Those that complete a sufficient number of hours in TLE subjects and pass TESDA assessments may be awarded a TESDA Certificate of Competency or a National Certificate (see TVET section below).

Senior High School (SHS)

SHS consists of two years of specialized upper secondary education (grades 11 and 12, ages 16 to 18). Students are streamed into academic specialization tracks with distinct curricula. Before enrolling, students choose a specialization track , being restricted in their choice only by the availability of that specialization at the school they plan to attend. The four tracks are:

• Academic Track
• Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Track
• Sports Track
• Arts and Design Track

Students in all tracks study a core curriculum of 15 required subjects from seven learning areas, which include: languages, literature, communication, mathematics, philosophy, natural sciences, and social sciences. The grading scale and methods of assessment used in SHS are the same as in JHS, but with a stronger emphasis on performance tasks. Upon completion of grade 12, students are awarded a high school diploma .

The Academic Track is designed to prepare students for tertiary education. It is further divided into four strands : general academic; accountancy, business and management (ABM); humanities and social sciences (HUMSS); and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The TVL Track is intended for students looking to enter the labor force or pursue further TVET after graduation. It is also divided into four strands : home economics; agriculture/fishery; industrial arts; and information and communications technology (ICT). Graduates that pass the relevant TESDA assessment tests are simultaneously eligible for the award of a TESDA National Certificate I or II (see TVET section below).

The Sports and Arts and Design Tracks are intended to impart “middle-level technical skills” for careers in sports-related fields and creative industries. Enrollments in these two tracks will be comparatively small, however. While the Department of Education expected an estimated 609,000 students to enroll in the academic track, and another 596,000 students to enroll in the TVL track in 2016, only 20,000 students were anticipated to opt for the sports or arts and design tracks.

Overall, it is expected that the new overhauled K-12 curriculum will lead to greatly improved educational outcomes, since it helps “decongest” the highly condensed prior 10-year curriculum. Filipino educators have blamed the old compressed curriculum, at least in part, for the high dropout rates and lack-luster test scores in recent years, since it did not afford students the time necessary to absorb and learn all the material presented to them.  

The Qualifications Framework of the Philippines

In 2012, the government established an official qualifications framework for the Philippines (PQF). The goal of the PQF is to define standards and learning outcomes, ease mobility between different education and training sectors in the Philippines, and to align Philippine qualifications with international qualifications frameworks to facilitate international mobility. Qualifications in the PQF range from secondary-level TVET certificates at levels 1 and 2 to doctoral qualifications at level 8.

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

TVET in the Philippines is designed to train the Philippine labor force and prepare graduates for medium- skilled employment in various vocations, ranging from agriculture to automotive technology, bookkeeping, business services, computer maintenance, information technology, health services, cookery, tourism and hospitality services, carpentry, seafaring, housekeeping, web design or teaching ESL. There were more than 2,000 different training programs on offer in 2015.

While the TVET sector is smaller in terms of total enrollments and remains less popular than the tertiary sector, it nevertheless has expanded rapidly over the past years. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of students enrolled in TVET programs increased by 295 percent, from 574,017 students to 2.27 million students . Graduation rates in TVET programs have improved greatly in recent years and grew from 83 percent in 2010 to 95 percent in 2016 .

The PQF specifies five levels of TVET qualifications. The National Certificate (NC) I and NC II are placed at the secondary level and are designed to impart practical skills in a “limited range of highly familiar and predictable contexts”. These certificates can be earned by secondary school students at the end of grade 10 or grade 12.

The NC III, NC IV and Diploma are post-secondary qualifications at levels 3 to 5 of the PQF. Programs leading to these types of qualifications generally require prior NCs or a high school diploma for admission and involve training at progressive levels of complexity with a greater theoretical focus, designed to train skilled workers in more supervisory functions. NC programs are usually more applied in nature, whereas diploma programs tend to be more theoretically oriented and often offered at universities.

At the NC level, TVET is competency-based, which means that programs are typically not studied or quantified in a concrete number of semesters or years of study. Instead, training programs are often modularized and self-paced – a fact that allows students who are already employed to pursue TVET without having to adhere to a strict schedule of classes. To earn a qualification, students must acquire a set number of “units of competency”, formally certified in Certificates of Competency (COCs). COCs may be awarded upon completion of a set number of hours of instruction, or demonstrated mastery of certain practical competencies. Assessment may involve oral exams, written tests, employer assessment, portfolio or work projects .

It is important to note that NCs and COCs are only valid for a period of five years. After five years, holders of these qualifications must apply for the renewal of their certification and re-registration in a TESDA-maintained Registry of Certified Workers . If TESDA has established new competency standards since the original qualification was issued, applicants must undergo another competency assessment based on the new competency standards.

TVET Institutions and Modes of Delivery

There are three main modes of TVET delivery in the Philippines: institution-based (at schools and centers), enterprise-based (at companies), and community-based (at local government and community organizations).

Institution-based programs are offered by TESDA-administered schools and training centers, as well as by authorized private schools. Some higher education institutions also offer TESDA-approved programs. About half of all TVET students studied in institution-based programs in 2016 . TESDA presently directly maintains 57 schools , including 19 agricultural schools, 7 fishery schools and 31 trade schools, as well as 60 regional training centers catering to regional needs. Most TVET schools, however, are privately-owned. About 90 percent of all TVET providers were private as of 2013, even though public institutions continue to enroll greater numbers of students: In 2016, 54.3 percent of TVET students were enrolled in public schools, compared to 45.7 percent in private institutions.

Enterprise-based programs are typically pursued by trainees who are employed or are training for employment at a company. These practice-oriented programs include apprenticeship programs, so-called “learnership” programs, and dual training programs, a training model adopted from Germany which combines training at a workplace with theoretical instruction at a school. Most of these programs are based on a contract between the trainee and the company and are as of now not very common – only slightly more than 3 percent of TVET students were training in enterprise-based programs in 2016. Apprenticeship programs are usually between four and six months in length, whereas learnership programs are simply shorter apprenticeship programs lasting up to three months. Programs in the Dual Training System (DTS), meanwhile, last up to two years, during which trainees acquire practical job skills augmented by part-time study at a school.

Community-based programs are designed to provide TVET for “poor and marginal groups” at the communal level, often in partnership with local government organizations. Based on local needs and resources, these public programs are not only intended to help upskill marginalized populations, but also aim to support NGOs and local government .

Quality Assurance

TESDA provides quality control for TVET programs through its “Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System “( UTPRAS ). All TVET programs offered at public and private institutions must be taught in accordance with TESDA’s training regulations and be officially registered via UTPRAS. In addition, TVET providers can improve their reputation by seeking accreditation from accrediting bodies like the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission , but this is a voluntary process and not required for offering TVET programs in the Philippines.

Articulation between TVET and Tertiary Education Sectors

Until now, the transferability of qualifications and study between the competency-based TVET and tertiary education sectors is limited. However, the Philippine government seeks to create a more open and integrated system. In the “ Ladderized Education Act of 2014 ”, it directed CHED, TESDA and the Depart of Education to establish “equivalency pathways and access ramps allowing for easier transitions and progressions between TVET and higher education”, including “…qualifications and articulation mechanisms, such as, but not necessarily limited to the following: credit transfer, embedded TVET qualification in ladderized degree programs, post-TVET bridging programs, enhanced equivalency, adoption of ladderized curricula/programs, and accreditation and/or recognition of prior learning”. It remains to be seen how these changes will be implemented in the future.

Tertiary Education

Higher education institutions.

The number of HEIs in the Philippines has grown rapidly over the past decades. Between 2007 and 2016/17 alone, the number of HEIs increased from 1,776 to 1,943 . That makes the Philippines the country with the highest number of HEIs in Southeast Asia. For example, the Philippines has more than four times as many HEIs than Vietnam ( 445 in 2015 ), a country with a similar-size population.

Types of HEIs

There are three types of public tertiary education institutions in the Philippines as classified by CHED:

State universities and colleges or SUCs are defined as public institutions “with independent governing boards and individual charters established by and financed and maintained by the national government“. In order to be classified as a university (as opposed to a college), institutions need to offer graduate programs in addition to a minimum number of bachelor programs in a range of disciplines. There are presently 112 SUCs in the Philippines.

Local colleges and universities are public institutions established and funded by local government units. There are presently 107 local universities and colleges.

Other government schools form a category that comprises specialized HEIs that provide training related to public services, such as the Philippine National Police Academy or the Philippine Military Academy, for example. There are presently 14 of these institutions.

Private HEIs

The vast majority – 88 percent – of HEIs in the Philippines, however, are privately owned. There were 1,710 private HEIs in operation in the 2016/17 academic year, which include both religiously affiliated institutions (mostly Catholic schools) and non-sectarian institutions. Most of these institutions offer the same type of tertiary education programs as public institutions and are overseen by CHED. A “ Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education ” details specific guidelines for private providers.

Many private HEIs in the Philippines are “demand-absorbing” institutions that fill a gap in supply created by the massification of education in the Philippines. Amidst limited capacities and low funding levels in the Philippine higher education system, these institutions offer those students who cannot get admitted into competitive public institutions access to tertiary education. It should be noted, however, that with the exception of top Catholic universities like Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University or the University of Santo Tomas, a majority of these institutions are smaller for-profit providers that enroll fewer than 1,000 students. The quality of education at many of these profit-driven institutions tends to be below the standards of prestigious public HEIs.

Enrollment levels at public institutions therefore remain substantial, considering the large number of private HEIs. While the share of private sector enrollments in the Philippines is high by international standards, 45.8 percent of the country’s 3.5 million tertiary students were enrolled in public institutions in the 2016/17 academic year. Just over 39 percent of students studied at state universities and colleges, 6.2 percent at local universities and colleges, and a small minority of 0.17 percent at other government schools. The largest university in the Philippines is presently the public Polytechnic University of the Philippines, which maintains branch campuses throughout the country.  

Quality Assurance and Accreditation

The Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has far-reaching authority over HEIs, including private institutions. It can authorize the establishment or closure of private HEIs, as well as determine their tuition fees and degree programs. Private HEIs are required to seek permission for their degree programs and to graduate students from these programs. Private institutions that have received this permission are authorized to display a “Special Order Number” (SON) on their academic records. The SON pertains to a specific credential awarded on a certain date and needs to be requested on a continual basis for batches of graduates.

However, CHED can exempt HEIs from the requirement to request SONs by declaring them “autonomous” or “deregulated” institutions – a designation that is granted for five-year periods and reserved for reputable high quality institutions. Autonomous institutions have the freedom to establish new degree programs and design their own curricula, whereas deregulated institutions still need to request permission for new degree programs, but are exempt from the special order requirements. CHED publishes lists of autonomous and deregulated universities on its website .

There is also a separate and voluntary accreditation process in the Philippines that allows HEIs to apply for accreditation of their programs by private accrediting bodies, such as the “Philippines Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities” or the “Philippines Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation”. Accreditation is mostly program-based and encouraged by CHED. The Commission incentivizes HEIs to seek accreditation by granting institutions with accredited programs a number of self-regulatory powers, such as financial and administrative autonomy, up to freedom to independently establish new graduate programs. There are four levels of accreditation as set forth by CHED:

• Level I : Programs have undergone initial review and are accredited for three years.
• Level II : Programs have been re-accredited for three to five years, depending on the assessment of the accrediting body. This exempts institutions from applying for the SON, and allows them to redesign the curricula (within limits) and use the word “accredited” on publications.
• Level III : Programs have been re-accredited and fulfill a number of additional criteria, such as a strong research focus and high pass rates of graduates in licensing exams. This level gives HEIs the right to independently establish new programs associated with already existing level III programs.
• Level IV : Programs are considered to be of outstanding quality and prestige, as demonstrated by criteria like publications in research journals and international reputation. HEIs have full autonomy in running their accredited level IV programs and have the right to establish new graduate programs associated with existing level IV programs.

Given that accreditation is not a mandatory requirement, however, only a minority of HEI’s in the Philippines presently seek accreditation of their programs. In the 2016/17 academic year, there were 671 higher education institutions with accredited programs in the Philippines (about 28 percent of all institutions). CHED provides an easy-to-navigate directory of all the recognized higher education programs in the Philippines, organized by institution and region.  

International University Rankings

Compared to other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia, the Philippines is currently not very well-represented in international university rankings. Only one Philippine university was among the 359 universities included in the 2018 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings , while ten Thai universities, nine Malaysian universities and four Indonesian universities were included in the ranking. The University of the Philippines, arguably the most prestigious university in the Philippines, is currently ranked at position 601-800 out of 1,102 institutions in the THE world ranking. Four Philippine universities are included in the current QS World University Rankings . These are: the University of the Philippines (367), Ateneo de Manila University (551-600), De La Salle University (701-750) and the University of Santo Tomas (801-1000). No Philippine universities are included in the current 2017 Shanghai ranking .

Enrollments by Type of Program and Field of Study

The vast majority of Filipino students are enrolled at the undergraduate level. Fully 89 percent were matriculated in bachelor-level programs and another 4.8 percent in pre-bachelor programs in the 2016/17 academic year. Graduate level enrollments are still small: Only 5.2 percent of students were enrolled in master’s programs and less than one percent in doctoral programs.

The most popular fields of study in 2016/17 were business administration, education, engineering and technology, information and technology and medical studies. Of the more than 2.2 million students enrolled in these subject areas, about 41 percent chose business administration and almost 33 percent pursued education studies. Engineering, information technology and medical studies accounted for 20 percent, 18 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

University Admissions

Admission into university in the Philippines generally requires the high school diploma. Going forward this means the new K-12 diploma. CHED has announced that beginning in the 2018/19 academic year, holders of the old 10-year high school diploma are expected to complete bridging courses before enrolling in undergraduate programs. In addition, more selective institutions have further requirements such as certain minimum GPA requirements, adequate scores in the National Achievement Test (NAT) or institution-specific entrance examinations. There is no nation-wide university entrance exam as found in other Asian countries.

Degree Structure

Given the impact the U.S. had on the development of the modern Philippine education system, it is not surprising that tertiary benchmark credentials in the Philippines closely resemble the U.S. system. Higher education institutions also follow a two semester system like in the U.S., however the academic year runs from June until March.

Associate Degree

Even though the Associate degree is not included in the Philippine Qualifications Framework, it is still awarded by several institutions in the Philippines. Associate programs are typically two years in length, although some older programs used to be three years in length. Associate programs often have a more vocationally-oriented focus, but also include a general education component and may be transferred into bachelor’s programs. Some institutions offer associate degrees as part of a laddered 2+2 system leading to a bachelor’s degree.

Bachelor’s Degree

Bachelor’s degree programs in standard academic disciplines are four years in length (a minimum of 124 credits, but most typically between 144-180 credits). The credentials awarded most frequently are the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts. Bachelor’s programs in professional disciplines like engineering or architecture, on the other hand, are typically five years in length and have higher credit requirements. Programs include a sizeable general education core curriculum in addition to specialized subjects. Until recently, general education courses were typically completed in the first half of the program, while major-specific courses were mostly taken in higher semesters. The K-12 reforms, however, will lead to changes in curricula and likely reduce the general education component in bachelor’s programs.

Master’s Degree

Master’s programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission. Programs are typically two years in length (a minimum of 30 credits, but credit requirements vary from institution to institution). Depending on the discipline, master’s programs may include a thesis or be offered as non-thesis programs, with non-thesis programs usually requiring a higher number of credits and passing of a comprehensive examination.

Doctoral Degree

The doctoral degree is the highest degree in the Philippine education system. Doctoral programs require a master’s degree for admission and typically involve coursework and a dissertation, although some pure research programs without coursework also exist. The most commonly awarded credential is the Doctor of Philosophy. In addition, there are professional doctorates, such the Doctor Technology or the Doctor of Education. Most programs have a minimum length of three years, but students often take much longer to complete the program.

Professional Education

Professional degree programs in disciplines like medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or law are either post-graduate programs that require a bachelor’s degree for admission or long six-year first degree programs that involve two years of foundation studies after high school. While there are some variations in the programs offered, the general structure is as follows.

Law programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission, are usually four years in length, and conclude with the award of the Juris Doctor. Medical programs lead to the award of the Doctor of Medicine and require four years of study after the bachelor’s degree, including two years of clinical study. Graduate medical education in medical specialties involves a further three to six years of residency training after licensure.

Programs in dental and veterinary medicine, on the other hand, usually do not require a bachelor’s degree for admission. Instead, students are required to complete a two-year preliminary foundation program with a sizeable general education component before commencing professional studies. Students graduate with the Doctor of Dental Medicine or the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine after a total of six years of study.

In order to practice, graduates from professional programs must pass licensing examinations, the standards of which are set forth by a national Professional Regulation Commission . This Commission regulates most professions and oversees more than 40 Professional Regulatory Boards that conduct the relevant licensing exams. Lawyers have to pass bar exams administered by a Bar Examination Committee under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

Teacher Education

The standard teaching credential in the Philippines is a four-year bachelor’s degree. Elementary school teachers earn a Bachelor of Elementary Education, whereas secondary school teachers earn a Bachelor of Secondary Education, with curricula being tailored to the respective level of education. Curricula are set by CHED and consist of general education subjects, education-related subjects, specialization subjects and practice teaching. Holders of bachelor’s degrees in other fields can earn a teacher qualification by completing a post-graduate program in education. These programs are between one semester and one year in length and lead to a credential most commonly referred to as the Certificate of Professional Education.

Grading Scales

There is no standard grading scale at the tertiary level that all institutions follow. It is more common for HEIs to use their own unique grading scales and include a legend or description of the scale on their academic transcripts. However, there are a few scales which are more common than others. The most common one is the 1-5 scale , with 1 being the highest grade. Also commonly used is a 0-100 scale with a minimum passing grade of 75.

Credit System

The credit system, on the other hand, is fairly standardized. One credit unit usually represents at least 16 semester-hours of classroom instruction and most classes require three hours of in-class study per week. In a typical three-credit course, students, thus, attend classes for 48 hours per semester. In non-lecture based classes, such as labs or other practical courses, one credit is usually equivalent to 32 semester hours.

WES Documentation Requirements

• Graduation Certificate/Diploma – submitted by the applicant
• Academic Transcript – sent directly by the institution attended

Higher Education

• Academic Transcript – sent directly by the institution (if study for one degree was completed at multiple institutions, the last institution attended sends a consolidated transcript)
• For completed doctoral degrees – a written statement confirming the award of the degree sent directly by the institution

Notable Documentation Peculiarities

All study reported on a single transcript: If a student completes study at multiple institutions, the courses taken by this student at different schools (subjects, credits and grades) are all included on the final transcript issued by the last institution attended. The institutions at which the student studied previously will not issue separate transcripts. To document study completed at multiple institutions, it is therefore sufficient to only request a consolidated transcript from the last institution attended (see the sample documents below for an example).

Recognition status of programs : Academic records issued by private institutions may provide cues about the official CHED recognition status of the program in question. The academic records will either indicate the mandatory special order number, or in the case of exempted institutions note their autonomous or deregulated status. If neither a special order number nor the autonomous/deregulated status is indicated on the documents, the program was either not completed, the special order number request is still pending with CHED, or the program is not recognized.

Click  here  for a PDF file of the academic documents referred to below.

• High school diploma and academic transcript (old system)
• High school diploma and academic transcript (K-12)
• National Certificate II
• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science
• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy
• Doctor of Medicine

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With Schools Closed, Covid-19 Deepens a Philippine Education Crisis

The country remains among the few that have not at least partially reopened, sparking worry in a place where many lack a computer or internet access.

By Jason Gutierrez and Dan Bilefsky

MANILA — As jubilant students across the globe trade in online learning for classrooms, millions of children in the Philippines are staying home for the second year in a row because of the pandemic, fanning concerns about a worsening education crisis in a country where access to the internet is uneven.

President Rodrigo Duterte has justified keeping elementary schools and high schools closed by arguing that students and their families need to be protected from the coronavirus. The Philippines has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Asia, with just 16 percent of its population fully inoculated, and Delta variant infections have surged in recent months.

That makes the Philippines, with its roughly 27 million students, one of only a handful of countries that has kept schools fully closed throughout the pandemic, joining Venezuela, according to UNICEF, the United Nations Agency for Children. Other countries that kept schools closed, like Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, have moved to reopen them.

“I cannot gamble on the health of the children,” Mr. Duterte said in June, rejecting recommendations by the health department to reopen schools.

The move — which has kept nearly 2,000 schools closed — has spawned a backlash among parents and students in a sprawling nation with endemic poverty. Many people, particularly in remote and rural areas, do not have access to a computer or the internet at home for online learning.

Iljon Roxas, a high school student stuck at home in Bacoor City, south of Manila, said the monotony of staring at a computer screen over the past year made it difficult to concentrate, and he yearned to return to a real classroom. The fun and joy of learning, he added, had evaporated.

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The Cost of Miseducation: Lack of investment in PH education sector

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) acknowledged the long-standing "learning crisis" in the Philippines—a problem that is not only felt first-hand by Filipino students and teachers, but is also dismally evident as shown by national and international assessment results.

With a new academic year about to begin, and a change of leadership unfolding at the Department of Education (DepEd), what needs to be done to address the crisis?

The title of this GMA News Online series is a nod to EDCOM II's year one report, which equates the country's "failed system" of education to one word: Miseducation.

The series takes a close look at prudent spending and management of government resources and education funds, as well as the consequences students and teachers suffer when these responsibilities are not performed well.

This is The Cost of Miseducation.

FIRST OF THREE PARTS

One of the key issues raised in the EDCOM II report released in January 2024 was that the Philippine government, as compared to neighboring countries, has a "historical and persistent underinvestment" in education, resulting in the decline of its quality.

This problem of underinvestment was already raised by the EDCOM I in its 1991 report.

At that time, the commission noted that government expenditure on education was only at 2.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—far from the 4.0% minimum recommended benchmark.

More than 30 years later, underinvestment still haunts the country's education sector.

International organizations' suggested public spending on education is at 4% to 6% of the GDP, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, co-chair of EDCOM II and chairman of the Senate committee on basic education, told GMA News Online in an interview.

Currently, Gatchalian said, the Philippines is still at the lower end of the recommendation, allocating nearly 4% of the GDP to basic education; technical and vocational (TechVoc) education; and higher education, including state universities and colleges (SUCs).

READ: SECOND OF THREE PARTS The Cost of Miseducation: Handling PH education's purse

READ: LAST OF THREE PARTS The Cost of Miseducation: Task at hand for PH education

Despite the "substantial growth" in the investments in education since EDCOM I, however, the commission stressed that the Philippines' current amount of investment is still behind compared to other neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) like Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia—countries that all fared well in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

The investment gap exists, even though the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education.

This year, under the P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget, the education sector remained to be the top priority , according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The DepEd alone received the lion's share allocation of P717.6 billion under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

"DepEd always receives the biggest and the highest allocation, as well as the highest growth in terms of allocation. So not only is it growing big, but it's growing fast. And that's the commitment of the government to education," Gatchalian said.

'Misprioritization'

Despite this, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) argued that since the public spending on education was still below 6% of the GDP, there remains to be a "misprioritization" of the national budget, which then affects both public school students and teachers.

"Hindi sumasapat ang budget sa education in a sense na wala pa doon sa 6% of the GDP. So basically kapag may misprioritization o ang tinatawag natin na terminal na usapin ng investment na mababa, may epekto ito sa usapin ng sahod," ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua said.

(The budget for education is not enough in a sense that it is not even 6% of the GDP. So basically, when there is misprioritization or low investment, this has an impact on the issue of wages.)

Quetua said that teachers usually suffer from being underpaid, overworked, and under-supported regardless of playing a vital role in society and in shaping children's future.

He appealed for the current education budget to be doubled, so that there would be enough funding to provide teachers with sufficient benefits and salaries, as well as to build more classrooms and school facilities, and to pay for additional education support personnel.

When this happens, Queta said, the quality of education in the country will improve.

However, Gatchalian said that it would not be enough to merely increase the education budget.

It is also important to know where to spend the budget, Gatchalian said, and where the spending would be able to yield the most efficient learning outcomes.

"It's not about just the amount of spending. It's also where you spend it, and it should be wise spending," the senator said.

Value for money

Citing data from the 2022 PISA, the EDCOM II report highlighted how Vietnam was able to outperform Malaysia in terms of math, reading, and science despite the latter's higher cumulative spending of $50,700 per student.

Vietnam's cumulative spending per student was at $13,800, which was only slightly higher than the Philippines' $11,000.

Despite the two countries spending approximately almost the same per student, Vietnam was able to score more than 100 points higher than the Philippines in all the three core subjects in PISA.

With this, the EDCOM II indicated that education systems of other countries might have been “more efficient and strategic” in allocating their resources than the Philippines.

“In the case of the Philippines, the stagnant trend in the National Achievement Test scores as well as the dismal performance in the international large-scale assessments despite robust growth in education spending suggest there is room for improvement in how we have managed and allocated our resources thus far,” the report read.

The 2022 PISA results showed that Filipino learners continued to perform badly in math, science, and reading . The Philippines particularly placed third from the bottom in science, and sixth from the bottom in reading and mathematics, among the 81 countries and economies that participated in the study.

DepEd senior education program specialist and PISA focal person Alex Sucalit Jr. had said that the latest PISA results might have shown that the Philippines is about five to six years behind in learning competencies as compared to other countries.

Even outgoing Education Secretary Vice President Sara Duterte had lamented the Philippines’ poor performance on the latest PISA, saying that the results bared an “ uncomfortable truth ” in the country’s education.

“It has shown that a significant majority of our boys and girls fall below the proficiency level required for full participation in society and contributing to nation-building,” Duterte said in December 2023 when the results came out.

There were a lot of factors to consider as to why Filipino students fell short in international assessments as compared to their foreign neighbors. One major reason for it was the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mathias Cormann, secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which conducts the PISA studies, had also emphasized that there was a “positive relationship” between investment in education and student performance should there be a cumulative spending of up to $75,000 per student aged 6 to 15.

Then again, the Philippines’ $11,000 cumulative spending per student is still far from this threshold.

Need for more

The government’s low investment in education was also reflected in the governance of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), which is vital for ages 0 to 4.

According to EDCOM II, the lack of financial support for the ECCD programs “hinders equitable access and compromises the quality of services” for young children. The reported insufficiency of resources also affects the compensation for child development workers or teachers, which then impacts the overall quality of ECCD programs.

The DepEd secretary sits as the ex-officio chairperson of the ECCD Council.

EDCOM II also pointed out financial constraints when it comes to implementing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The commission said that funding should be increased to overcome financial barriers that also hamper access to quality vocational training in the country.

Even in school maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), the commission said the current budget levels are also insufficient to fully cover the operating costs of public elementary and high schools.

Based on consultations with school heads and teachers, the commission revealed that 30% to 70% of the school MOOE budget was being spent on utility bills alone, which leaves limited funds for other projects and initiatives that could address local needs and support better learning.

'Never enough'

Given the “underinvestment” in education, how much is needed to alleviate the learning crisis in the country?

DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa said that the DepEd alone is seeking P792 billion under the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Poa, however, admitted that this is still inadequate to address the problems in the education sector. Nevertheless, he vowed that the DepEd would work with whatever budget will be given, and maximize it to improve the quality of basic education in the country.

“I think, it's not just with DepEd but common with other national government agencies. It's never enough,” Poa said.

“Siyempre, ‘yung initial proposal natin is mas mataas pa. Marami tayong gustong gawin na projects and programs for education. But, again, we do understand and acknowledge the fiscal restrictions,” he added.

(Of course, our initial proposal was even higher. We want to do a lot of projects and programs for education.)

In 2023, DepEd sought a P758-billion budget under the 2024 NEP. However, even Duterte herself said that the amount was insufficient to cater to all the projects that would improve the country’s basic education.

She said the DepEd initially requested an approximate P900-billion budget for fiscal year 2024, but was only approved around P700 billion under the NEP.

Earlier this month, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced that the President already approved the proposed P6.352-trillion NEP for 2025 .

The education sector, composed of DepEd, TESDA, SUCs, and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), will still be among those that will get the biggest share of the government appropriations next fiscal year. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

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Education in the Philippines: Opportunity 2.0

NEW ROCHELLE, New York — Funded by USAID, Opportunity 2.0 is a program that aims to improve education in the Philippines and provide second-chance education to the youth throughout the country. The program has offices in 15 different cities and is aiming to help more than 180,000 youth, train more than 1,600 teachers and partner with 2,200 employers to provide students with job opportunities at the end of their education.

The program partners with the Philippines Department of Education, the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, city governments and other organizations to ensure opportunities for the youth who go through their program.

Poverty and Education in the Philippines

The Philippines has a population of just over 115 million people, with 5 million of them living in conditions of extreme poverty. The average monthly salary in the Philippines is around 45,000 PHP, which equals about $800 . Poverty in the country stems from a range of issues including poor access to education.

Education in the Philippines has been declining in recent years. In 2022, the Philippines ranked 77th out of 81 countries in the strength of the education system. Nine out of 10 students tested unable to understand basic reading material by the age of 10, and the country tested sixth to last in reading and mathematics and third to last in science in the Program for International Students Assessment (PISA) in 2022.

The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) stated these test results, saying “The country’s dismal ranking in the 2022 PISA for the second time is a clear indication that our education system is in its worst state and much work needs to be done. PBeD added, “The state of education in the Philippines demands immediate attention, collective effort, and a commitment to improvement so we can give our children the best learning experience that they deserve.”

There is a clear need to improve education in the Philippines, which is why programs such as Opportunity 2.0 have been so successful in providing opportunities that the education system is unable to provide.

Opportunity 2.0

After seeing how investments into the education system and technical training weren’t paying off, Opportunity 2.0 was created to help the youth take advantage of these changes.

Opportunity 2.0 teaches skills in entrepreneurship, engages partners to provide training and job chances for the youth and grows alliances with industry and education professionals to ensure students have workforce connections at the end of the program.

One of the program’s biggest focuses is second-chance education. The program follows the ALS 2.0 learning system, which is described as a system that “provides opportunities for learners to develop basic and functional literacy skills and allows learners to continue learning in a manner, time, and place suitable to their preferences and circumstances.”

Its second chance education work helped out-of-school youth continue learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and brought online learning into communities suffering from extreme poverty throughout the country.

The Private Sector and Education in the Philippines

Opportunity 2.0 also places a large focus on engaging the private sector to create learning and job opportunities for out-of-school youth. Through Youth Development Alliances in different cities, it listens to industry needs and teaches skills that employers are actively searching for, helping out-of-school youth learn skills necessary to fill gaps in the workforce.

An interviewee who preferred to remain anonymous told The Borgen Project “Engaging the private sector is arguably the biggest part of our work. Without partners, our work in preparing students for the workforce would go to waste, as there would be nowhere for them to take their talents and newfound skills after they graduate from our program.”

It currently partners with the Department of Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Agency, AWS Educate, Accenture and Catholic Relief Services to make sure those who go through their program have job opportunities at the end.

The program has recently launched a grants program so the 12 cities they work in can continue to meet the needs of out-of-school youth. USAID provides $37.5 million to the program , and there are four other grants engaging service providers and higher education institutions with funds to work along with the program. The interviewee explains “The Grants will go towards training teachers and service providers, and will help fund higher education opportunities for our students.”

Final Remarks

With low education rates in the Philippines and many areas suffering from extreme poverty , the youth in the Philippines have not had ample learning chances for years. Opportunity 2.0 has worked to improve learning conditions in the country by supporting local and national agencies and training teachers to provide learning opportunities for second-chance youth.

– Nicolas Mezzaucella

Nicolas is based in New Rochelle, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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