Indian, hindi Chinese ang pinakamaraming bilang ng estudyante sa Pilipinas – CHED

“For the last 7 years, the nationality with the highest number of foreign students are the Indian nationals, followed by Chinese nationals and third by the Nigerian nationals,” ayon kay Executive Director, CHED, Atty. Cinderella Filipina Benitez.

Ito ang binigyang-linaw ni Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez sa pagsisimula ng pagdinig nitong Miyerkules, Mayo 22 ng House Committee on Justice ukol sa pagdagsa ng mga Chinese student sa bansa.

Batay sa academic year 2023-2024 data ng CHED, nasa 17,202 ang foreign students ang naka-enroll sa Pilipinas. Sa naturang bilang, halos 8,973 ay mga Indian; nasa 5,334 naman ay mga Chinese, at nasa 838 naman ay mga Nigerian.

Dagdag pa ng CHED, hindi sa Region 2 kung saan matatagpuan ang Cagayan, matatagpuan ang pinakamaraming bilang ng Chinese students; kundi sa National Capital Region (NCR).

Ayon sa CHED, ang dahilan ng pagdami ng foreign students sa bansa ay dahil sa English medium at murang pag-aaral.

“Ang ground nila for pursuing international study here in the Philippines which is the English as a medium of instruction, quality institutions. On the part of Region 2, SPUP is one of our autonomous and deregulated institutions. And of course, affordability base on our evaluation of foreign students pursuing programs here in the Philippines,” dagdag pa nito.

Samantala, pinasinungalingan naman ng St. Paul University na mayroong 4,600 Chinese students na naka-enroll sa kanila. Dahil ang totoo anila, nasa higit 800 lamang ang mga ito.

“We never reach 4,600 total of Chinese students enrolled in any year at St. Paul University Philippines.”

“Many of them are in Tuguegarao. About 200. The others since they went home sometime their student visas expired so they have to apply for a new tourist visa,” ayon naman kay Director for Internationalization, St. Paul University of the Philippines, Dr. Jeremy Godofredo Morales.

Kinatigan naman ito ng Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“We have no data showing of the 4,600 students,” saad naman ni Commissioner, Bureau of Immigration, Atty. Norman Tansingco.

Hindi rin anila totoo na pinagbabayad nila ng P1.2-M ang bawat foreign student sa kanila.

Salungat ito sa paratang ni Cagayan, 3rd District Rep. Jojo Lara kaugnay sa nasabing halaga.

“St. Paul University does not charge P1.2 million.”

“In one year, the students enroll in four trimesters. So, for the students to complete their graduate school program, they are enrolled in at least 10 trimesters.”

“That’s only $10,000. So, it does not reach P1.2 million,” saad pa ni Dr. Jeremy Godofredo Morales.

Ang dahilan naman ng pagdami ng international students, kabilang ang Chinese students sa bansa, ayon sa Bureau of immigration:

“The Philippine government has been promoting the country as a regional and global education hub. CHED’s ‘study in Philippines campaign’ has greatly boosted the number of foreign students in the country,” pahayag pa ni Atty. Norman Tansingco.

Dagdag pa ng BI, isang memorandum of understanding (MOU) ang nilagdaan sa pagitan ng CHED at ng Chinese Ministry of Education para mapabilis ang bilateral cooperation sa higher education. Bukod pa dito ang memorandum of agreement na nilagdaan ni Chinese President Xi at dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong 2019.

Sa kabila nito, tiniyak naman ng ahensya na sinusuri nilang mabuti ang lahat ng mga dokumento ng mga foreign student sa bansa.

“100% we can assure the committee that the student visa section scrutinize and assess the completeness and the authenticity of all the supporting document,” ani Tansingco.