Canada and Australia have emerged as the top destinations for Filipino students, IDP Philippines country director Jose Miguel Habana said on Wednesday.
The two countries offer good opportunities for Filipinos, including the chance to work while studying, as well as the chance to migrate in the future, he said.
IDP, an Australian-listed company, helps students study abroad from the application process and obtaining visas to arriving and studying in the country of their choice.
IDP is also co-owner of the IELTS English language proficiency test. In the Philippines, it offers free study abroad services to anyone interested.
Habana said Canada is the main destination because Canada wants to attract many people to work and immigrate there after studying.
“You can actually work while you’re there and help fund your living expenses. It’s a great opportunity for our Filipino students,” he said.
Apart from Canada and Australia, other top destinations for Filipino students are the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United States and Ireland. The top courses or fields of study taken by Filipinos are business, health services and hospitality, Habana revealed. But engineering and IT-related courses are also growing.
“About 53,000 Filipinos in the top 5 destinations. And it is growing. We see this market continuing to grow, maybe 8-10% a year,” he added, saying most are pursuing postgraduate degrees.
The number of Filipinos looking to study abroad is on the rise again post-pandemic. Habana said the reasons are that many want to work overseas eventually, some just want to study in a foreign country because their desired course is not available in the Philippines, and some parents want their children to study in a country with quality education and a safe environment.
But he also urged prospective students to really prepare themselves – mentally, emotionally and financially. Scholarships are available, but for self-funded students, tuition fees would range from P1.8 million to P2.5 million a year. This does not include living expenses. Habana said there are ways to reduce costs, such as partial scholarships, staying with relatives abroad and working while studying in countries that allow it.
IDP recently opened an office in Quezon City to accommodate the expected influx of more potential students. It already has branches in Pasig, Makati and Cebu City, as well as IELTS centres in other cities.
