A PHILIPPINE congressman on Wednesday shifted blame for the influx of Chinese students in Cagayan province from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
During the House panel hearing on the potential national security implications of having 5,334 Chinese students enrolled in Philippine schools, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez said the BI “cannot be faulted” for the entry of these foreigners.
“They (immigration authorities) are merely converting the visa already issued by the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs),” said Mr. Rodriguez, who then berated the CHED for its role in the situation.
“Does CHED monitor?” he asked, as he impressed upon CHED officials the Philippines’ problem with China which is “trying to usurp our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.”
“Based on our data… it is [the] NCR (National Capital Region) with the highest number of Chinese nationals followed by Region II,” CHED Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro said.
Cagayan Province is located in Region II, the administrative region of Cagayan Valley. The province hosts two EDCA sites — Lal-lo Airport and Naval Base Camilo Osias.
Asked why Chinese students are interested in studying in Cagayan Province, Ms. Benitez-Jaro said: “Based on our data, the general categories [are responsible] for pursuing international studies here in the Philippines.”
The “general categories” that attract foreign students into the country include English being a medium of instruction, the quality of schools, and its affordability, she said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
