In 1595, Spanish Jesuits founded The University of San Carlos in Cebu City making it the oldest school in the Philippines. Then in 1611, the University of Santo Tomas was founded in Manila by the Dominican Order. It is the world’s largest Catholic university in terms of population. Both it and the University of San Carlos are older than Harvard, which was not founded until 1636. These facts are proof that the Philippines gave education its due attention.
They also understand the importance of doing little things. The island country passed a law under which every student has to mandatorily plant 10 trees to get their graduation degree. The rule, if implemented properly, will ensure that over 175 million trees will be planted every year. The bill known as ‘Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act’ has been unanimously passed by the House of Representatives, Philippines. The law will be applicable for college, elementary, and high school students as well.
Made up of more than 7000 islands in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has globally recognized universities that offer undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate studies and provides an affordable and quality education to more than 5000 international students every year. To date, there are 2300 listed colleges and universities in the Philippines, most of which are privately funded. This year, during budget talks, a total of P8.349 billion was added to the budgets of the 114 SUCs, including P2.786 billion for the University of the Philippines System. The rest of the funds will be used by the SUCs for research awards and the conduct of activities for sports and development, ICT and campus modernization programs. It is no wonder that the country’s positive attitude towards learning, the quality of many of its teacher education programs and the use of English as the medium for instruction make it a prime location for international students looking for quality higher education. Add to this the fact that the Philippine economy ranks among the best performers in Asia in recent
years, you have a winner in the Philippines. Inculcating the values of responsible citizenship, leadership, peace, tolerance, harmony, pluralism, and co-existence among the youth, the Philippines is ensuring individuals become worthy role-models for the coming generations.
We at the Higher Education Digest, with the help of our advisory panel consisting of senior academicians and practising industry professionals, have compiled a list of “10 Must-Watch Universities in the Philippines for International Students”. We hope that our efforts in showcasing these prime universities will help young aspiring international graduates take an informed decision in their respective educational journeys.
