The Philippines is experiencing an increase in the number of foreign students due to successful government campaigns, according to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco.
“The rise in foreign students in the country is a product of the Philippines’ aggressive marketing to promote the country as an educational hub in Asia,” said Tansingco.
“Their numbers rise because the government is succeeding in getting foreigners to trust our educational system,” he added.
He also reiterated that there are no ‘anomalies’ in the issuance of student visas.
“Everything is above board, these students have been issued visas after being vetted and endorsed by legitimate schools,” he stated. This means that the students were endorsed by a legitimate Higher Education Institution (HEI), as accredited or recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
He also said that foreign students are subjected to checks by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as part of their role in the inter-agency committee on foreign students (IACFS). This is especially true for activities that appear to be “inimical to the security of the State.”
“Actions of foreign students is, however, worth looking into by government intelligence agencies given that it is well within their mandate and is necessary for ensuring national security,” said Tansingco.
Last year, the BI issued a total of 24,191 visas to foreign nationals in the Philippines.
