EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines has a long history of higher  education. In 1611 the first university in Asia, University of St. Thomas, was established in Manila, Philippines. It is the oldest university in Asia with nearly 400 years of history. Philippine higher education is directly patterned to the United States and it uses the same system of education. English is widely used in education, finance and trade.
Students from over 70 countries are studying in the Philippines. More and more Chinese students understand that the Philippines is Asia's education center. The University of the Philippines is famous for it provides professional medical care each year for the Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, bringing to these countries and regions skilled dentists. Students master the English language in the Philippines. A student who received undergraduate degree in the Philippines can easily transfer or continue graduate studies in the United States or any other country. College education is very popular in the Philippines. It has more than 300 universities that recruit foreign students and in the city of Manila alone, there are nearly 60 universities that accept international students.
Philippines became the colony of the United States for 100 years. English is the medium of instruction in schools and the government and business sector also uses English as the official language. Philippines is one of the world's most popular English-speaking countries. It ranks first in Asia having an English literacy rate of 93%.
American-style education is available in the Philippines at minimal cost. The tuition fees and living expenses are low. The estimated living expense is only 100-150 dollars a month and tuition fees are only about 10% of the United States. The University of the Philippines pays great attention to cultivating the creativity of students learning ability and improving the overall quality of education.
One of the provisions of the constitution is for the government to give emphasis on primary and secondary education. The education budget in 1994 is 44.9 billion pesos, accounting for 11.74% of the government budget. The government encourages the establishment of private schools by exempting them from property taxes and by allowing them to have a long-term loan with low interest. National literacy rate in 1994 is 93.5% in 1994. In the school year 1994-1995, there are 35,671 primary schools, 6,055 secondary schools, 2,457 universities, and 1,235 vocational schools.
The famous institutions of higher learning are University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, University of the East, Far Eastern University and University of St. Thomas. These universities ranked within the top 100 famous universities in Asia. To pass the competitive evaluation process for admission in universities, students must have outstanding academic performance and excellent proficiency in English. In addition, students are required to pass the school entrance examinations. The prestigious Graduate Diploma awarded by these Universities is universally recognized.
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