Opportunities & risks

Opportunities

Programmes of study

• The most common programmes of study undertaken in New Zealand by students from the Philippines are in healthcare and business. There are opportunities for providers to diversify the types of programmes offered in the Philippines and market other types of programmes.

Education

• English as a medium of instruction. Around 90% of subjects continue to be taught in English,from preschool to tertiary level.This presents an opportunity, as educated Filipinos are likely to be well versed in written and spoken English
• High literacy rate (96.3%). There has been an increase in the literacy rate in the Philippines signifying that the majority of Filipinos can read and write in both English and Filipino.
• K-12 system. Originally, the education system went up to Grade 10 or fourth year high school. A recent change was made adding two more years to the high school level where students must complete Grade 12 to finish secondary education. This presents an opportunity as the last two years of their secondary education focuses on specific skill sets that will enable them to either pursue tertiary education and/or be employment ready.
• Changes in career preference (engineering, applied science, IT). According to the Commission on Higher Education there has been a shift in career preferences moving towards Engineering, Applied Sciences and IT. This indicates that the career preference is diversifying and presents opportunities for a diversified skill set from the Philippines.

Economic

• High GDP growth rate and the growing middle class. Between 2010 and 2016 the Philippines grew at an average 6%. This indicates that there is wealth building up in the Philippines. This will open opportunities for prospective students that may want to obtain their tertiary qualification in a different country.

Immigration Risks

Push factors and poverty

• Poverty and lack of employment opportunities are key factors which lead to Filipinos seeking opportunities in other countries, including New Zealand.
• The incidence of poverty in the Philippines was estimated to be at 26% during 2015^[1].

Managing expectations

• Some students may have unrealistic expectations of securing employment and visas after they study. Education providers and agents play an important role in managing the expectations of students. There are unscrupulous agents in every market and the Philippines is no exception. This means that, for some students, the reality can be very different to what they were led to believe. Although there are pathways to work and residence for some students, it is important students understand that there is no guarantee they will be eligible as they need to meet the requirements applicable at the time they apply.
• Students may be referred to the Immigration New Zealand website for further information about possible pathways.

Undeclared student agents

• There are some agents in the Philippines who do not declare their involvement with student applications on the visa application forms. It is important that agents are declared on visa application forms to enable agent performance to be monitored.
• INZ recommends that all education providers include the name of the agent on the offer of place. INZ may also contact an education provider to determine if an agent is involved in a student visa application.

www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/countryinfo