EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 188
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 188 -
GUIDELINES ON THE ENTRY AND STAY OF FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE FOR THE PURPOSE
WHEREAS, an increasing number of
foreigners have expressed their desire to enter and study in the
Philippines, and graduate from Philippine schools, colleges and
universities;
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the government to promote the Philippines
as a center for education in the region by (i) encouraging foreign
students to study in the Philippines, (ii) developing awareness of the
Philippine educational system by neighboring countries, and (iii)
allowing duly accepted foreign students to avail of the facilities of
the Philippine educational system; and
WHEREAS, the current procedure and guidelines governing the entry and
stay of foreign students in the Philippines need to be updated and
simplified, in support of this policy.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested upon me by law, do hereby
order:
Section 1. Basic Policies and Procedures. — The
following policies and procedure shall be observed by all entities
concerned:
A.
Acceptance of Foreign Students.
(1)
Any Philippine school whose programs are recognized by the Department
of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) is authorized to accept foreign
students. The individual Philippine school may launch information
campaigns to solicit and receive applications directly from prospective
foreign students. For this purpose, the school may seek the assistance
of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Tourism.
(2) Once the
applicant is accepted for admission, the school may forward to the
applicant the appropriate Notice of Acceptance to the course of study
applied for. However, the school may be required to obtain in advance
an appropriate Certificate of Eligibility for Admission (CEA) from the
DECS for certain courses of study, such as in medicine and in nursing,
where restrictions may exist on the enrollment of foreign students due
to a shortage of facilities. Once issued, the CEA shall remain valid
for the duration of the course of study, provided the student attends
his classes and continues to receive satisfactory grades.
(3) The DECS,
in consultation with the Commission on Higher Education, shall
determine what courses of study require the issuance of a CEA and shall
draw up a list for this purpose not later than sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Executive Order. Said list may be updated by the
DECS from time to time as may be necessary.
(4) The DECS
shall provide all schools with comparative equivalences for the major
foreign educational systems, and should any question concerning
equivalences arise, the school concerned shall secure the comments of
the DECS before accepting a foreign student for enrollment.
(5) Enrollment
in any level shall require completion of the lower particular level,
for example, an applicant for the tertiary or collegiate level should
be a graduate of high school or its equivalent.
(6)
Elementary, secondary and tertiary enrolment in Philippine schools by
the spouses and children of the following categories will be treated on
the same basis as Philippine nationals: (a) permanent foreign
residents, (b) aliens with valid working permits, (c) foreign diplomat
personnel, and (d) personnel from duly accredited international
organizations residing in the Philippines, and (e) holders of Special
Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) and Special Retiree’s Resident Visa
(SRRV).
B.
Issuance of Visas.
(7)
The procedure and documentation for the issuance of visas shall be kept
to a minimum. The applicants for student visa shall submit the
following documents to the Philippine Foreign Service Establishments
(PFSE) located in the country of their residence:
(a)
A copy of the Notice of Acceptance from a Philippine school and where
applicable, a copy of the CEA;
(b)
Documentary proof of support to cover expenses incidental to their
studies, such as board and lodging as well as return air tickets;
(c)
Authenticated scholastic records;
(d)
Authenticated Police Clearance Certificate from the applicant’s country
of origin or residence;
(e) Results of
medical examinations conducted by an authorized physician; and
(f) Other
documents that may be required in the individual case by the Consular
Officer, provided that it shall not be the task of the PFSE to
determine the applicants scholastic fitness for the program applied
for. If all documentary requirements are in order, the PFSE concerned
shall issue a student visa.
C.
Arrival and Stay in the Philippines.
(8)
The process for duly authorized foreign students to enter and stay in
the Philippines, including the issuance of the Alien Certificate of
Registration (ACR), shall be facilitated. The student’s authorized
period of stay shall be consistent with the length of the course of
study to which he has been accepted by a Philippine School.
(9) It shall
be the responsibility of the individual school in which the foreign
student is enrolled to report promptly at the close of each enrolment
period, to the Bureau of Immigration, those foreign students who have
been accepted by the school but who failed to register, either for the
first time or for subsequent terms. Similarly, the individual school
shall also report promptly after the end of each term, those students
who were absent from the final examinations for the term. The reporting
herein required shall be strictly complied with by the individual
school.
(10)
Appropriate arrangements shall be made by the agencies concerned for
foreigners who are already in the Philippines under other valid visa
arrangements, to facilitate their conversion into student visas,
provided all the relevant prerequisites listed herein are complied
with.
D. Security
Matters.
(11)
The appropriate authorities may check whenever necessary the activities
of foreign students brought to its attention, whose activities appear
to be inimical to the security of the state. They shall be responsible
for the apprehension of foreign students not complying with Philippine
Immigration laws and regulations. For instance, a report that a foreign
student is under employment shall be immediately forwarded to the
Bureau of Immigration as basis for the cancellation of the foreign
student’s entry permit and for initiation of deportation proceedings.
(12) Those
agencies charged with the maintenance of internal security shall
undertake steps necessary to safeguard national security interests,
without in any way further encumbering the process of application, visa
issuance, and entry authorization of foreign students in the
Philippines.
Sec. 2. Establishment and Composition of the
Committee on Foreign Students. — There is hereby created an
Inter-Agency Committee on Foreign Students herein referred to as the
Committee, which shall have the following membership:
Department
of Education, Culture and Sports — Chairman
Department of Foreign
Affairs
— Co-Chairman
Commission on Higher Education
— Member
Bureau of Immigration — Member
National Bureau of
Investigation — Member
National Intelligence
Coordinating Agency — Member
Sec. 3. Duties and Responsibilities of the
Committee. — The Committee shall have the following duties and
responsibilities:
(1)
Promulgate simplified procedures and implementing guidelines governing
the entry and stay of foreign students in the Philippines in accordance
with the provisions of this Executive Order within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity thereof;
(2) Monitor
and coordinate the implementation of this Executive Order by the
departments and agencies concerned;
(3) Meet
regularly to assess the progress of the whole program, to ensure that
the promotion of the Philippines as a center for education in the
region is effectively encouraged and undertaken; and
(4) Request
representatives from other agencies and/or the private sector to attend
its meetings, when it deems necessary and proper.
Sec. 4. Repealing Provision. — This Executive
Order repeals Executive Order No. 104, dated 4 December 1967 and all
other executive issuances, regulations, or any parts thereof, which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Executive Order.
Sec. 5. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall
take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila,
Philippines, this 13th day of July in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen
Hundred and Ninety-Four.
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Since 19.07.98.