MANILA, Philippines -- Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Secretary Dante Ang II assured the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protect the integrity of Philippine schools overseas (PSOs).
Ang raised the need to enhance the competitiveness of Philippine PSOs during a high-level mission to the UAE that included a courtesy call to Philippine Ambassador to UAE Alfonso Ver.
Ver raised the issue of unregulated online schooling platforms, which have reportedly disrupted the operations of legitimate PSOs.
Ang has assured the embassy that the CFO would seek the intervention of the Department of Education to address these "fly-by-night" operations and protect the integrity of the overseas educational system.
The CFO on Wednesday said Ang's mission centered on the growing demand for quality Filipino education as the PSO community in the UAE continues to expand.
Ang's visit was part of the CFO’s mandate to regulate PSOs and ensure they "remain viable pillars for the Filipino diaspora."
During his meeting with Ver, Ang highlighted the results of consultations with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.
Local authorities reportedly encouraged the expansion of PSOs, citing not only the increasing Filipino population in UAE but also a rising interest from other nationalities in enrolling their children in the Philippine system.
Ver said that growth must be matched by academic rigor. He noted that for Filipino students to qualify for admission to prestigious local institutions—such as Khalifa University—PSOs must ensure their curriculum, particularly in mathematics, meets international credentials.
