Philippine Education Market

Education continues to be a Philippine priority sector as evidenced by the Philippines Vice President Sarah Duterte concurrently serving as Secretary of Education.  The education sector budget significantly increased in the approved 2022 General Appropriations Act and there is a new emphasis on strengthening the focus on science, theoretical aptitude, vocational skills, and global languages.  The education sector was one of the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which necessitated a move towards online home-based learning.  This boosted the demand for education technology tools for distance learning.  Local private schools have only just resumed hybrid classroom learning in August 2022.

The Philippines has a total of 1,943 higher education institutions.  The latest data (2020) showed student enrollment at 1.83 million for private and 1.57 million for public institutions.  There is a strong presence of international schools in major cities such as Manila, Cebu, and Davao.  International schools typically follow a U.S. model and offer both International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs, with annual tuition fees ranging from $18,000 to $20,000.  Most students who pursue undergraduate courses in foreign countries would come from these types of schools. There is potential to promote programs for STEM as this is currently highly sought after. There is also an opportunity to promote further studies to top universities and colleges as this is becoming more popular. However, students usually opt to work locally for a few years to get experience prior to embarking on further studies abroad. 

The states with the highest number of Filipino students are California, New York, and Texas. Coincidentally, these states also have a high number of Filipino residents.

U.S. education institutions can work directly with private schools to conduct aggressive marketing efforts and should be prepared to invest considerable time and financial resources into the Philippine market as competition is fierce.  Interested education institutions are encouraged to participate in virtual education fairs to help recruit students, promote programs, and partner with local institutions.

For more information, please contact Ms. Shelinda Soliman, at the U.S. Commercial Service Philippines at Shelinda.Soliman@trade.gov.