Press Release
October 20, 2009

FILIPINO INT'L SCHOLARS SHOULD RETURN SERVICE TO RP - ANGARA

Concerned with the growing trend of Filipino students getting scholarships abroad and not returning to the country after their studies, Sen. Edgardo Angara urged foreign scholarship recipients to return to the Philippines and share their expertise with the domestic academe and workforce.

He further called on the national government to extend as much assistance to the concerned education-related agencies. He said, "Let's make our students abroad feel they have the support and commitment of the government. Upon completion of their studies, we must provide them venues where they can put their expertise to good use, making sure that we adequately compensate their educational qualifications and international experience."

Angara related the issue to an earlier concern that the Philippines lacks capacities and facilities in research-development and higher learning. This can be addressed by bringing in more experts, such as foreign-educated and -trained Filipinos, to lead the enhancement of the country's scientific capability. He also called on universities, the DepEd, CHED and DOST to increase partnerships for foreign exchange scholarship programs.

Angara is currently negotiating with Taiwanese officials to include a provision increasing exchange scholarship between the two governments.

In a Memorandum of Agreement with the Taiwanese Minister for Science, Angara said the [Philippines] will be sending 75 Masters and 25 PhD IT and engineering students and professionals to various Taiwanese universities. "They have extra capacities and high standard training, but they are short in manpower in IT. Whereas here in the Philippines, we have more aspiring experts than we can train," he said.

The senator urged the DepEd, CHED and the DOST to augment efforts in initiating and maintaining educational exchange ties with Asian giants like Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

"These are societies that Filipino students may not necessarily desire for permanent residency, and they are not very easy to give out citizenships; hence, our students will definitely return to the Philippines after completing their studies. On the other hand, they are also among the most advanced centers of education in the region and so our students can learn so much from their studies in their universities," stressed Angara, former President of the University of the Philippines.

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