Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 188)
The main purpose is to update and simplify the guidelines governing the entry and stay of foreign students in the Philippines, and to promote the Philippines as a center for education in the region.
Any Philippine school whose programs are recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) is authorized to accept foreign students.
The school may be required to obtain an appropriate Certificate of Eligibility for Admission (CEA) from DECS for certain courses of study.
The DECS, in consultation with the Commission on Higher Education, determines which courses require a CEA and draws up a list accordingly.
The applicant must submit a Notice of Acceptance from a Philippine school (and CEA if applicable), proof of financial support, authenticated scholastic records, authenticated police clearance from the country of origin or residence, results of medical examinations, and other documents required by the Consular Officer.
Schools must promptly report to the Bureau of Immigration those foreign students who have been accepted but failed to register or were absent from final examinations at the end of each enrollment term.
Yes, appropriate arrangements shall be made to facilitate the conversion into student visas, provided all prerequisites are complied with.
Authorities may check the activities of foreign students suspected of being inimical to the security of the state and may apprehend foreign students violating Philippine immigration laws, such as those unlawfully employed.
The committee is composed of representatives from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (Chairman), Department of Foreign Affairs (Co-Chairman), Commission on Higher Education, Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation, and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
Its duties include promulgating guidelines on entry and stay of foreign students, monitoring implementation of the Executive Order, regularly assessing the program's progress, and inviting other representatives to meetings when necessary.