The national government has provided P134 billion for free higher education, but no Philippine university landed in the Top 100 in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 Asia University Ranking.

Is the corruption at the Commission on Higher Education and the board of regents of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines an isolated case, or is it typical throughout the country?

During the National Higher Education Day Summit on 15 May 2024 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivered a compelling speech emphasizing the full implementation of and unwavering support for free higher education.

“Education should never be viewed as a mere expenditure — it is the most valuable investment we can make for our future,” Marcos declared, drawing resounding applause from the audience. As a testament to his commitment, the access to free higher education boasted a total funding of P134 billion.

The President emphasized the need to improve the academic performance of Filipino students.

He lamented that no Philippine university landed in the Top 100 in the THE 2024 Asia University Rankings. This meant that much work needed to be done.

“We must pursue a comprehensive and all-encompassing strategy that will turn the trend around,” said the President.

He stressed that “our greatest obligation “to the youth is “to mold them into critical thinkers, into problem solvers, into visionaries wielding the skills that will allow them to succeed in the future.”

He said that lacking an educated workforce, “any national economic blueprint would simply remain a blueprint if we do not have the means or capacity or the labor force to turn our plans into reality.”

“Without skilled manpower, who will run our industries? Industries will grind to a halt, social services will cease to function,” he said.

In the 2024 THE Asia University Rankings, Ateneo de Manila University garnered the highest rank for the Philippines, landing in the 400-500 level, followed by De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines in the 500-600 tier, and Mapua and University of Santo Tomas at the 600+ rank.

“You will perhaps remember that I expressed in the past the improvement of the quality of our higher education to make it responsive to the needs of Philippine society. The success of many of our plans for the country heavily depends on the availability of strong, resilient and skilled human resources to drive the nation forward,” said the President.

The Philippines’ labor force participation rate in April 2025 was estimated at 63.7 percent, with 48.67 million people considered part of the labor force. This indicated the proportion of the working age population that was either employed or actively seeking employment. To sustain the Philippine economy, a key focus is on maintaining and improving a job-ready and resilient labor force.

Philippine education must conform to the new economy to ensure Filipinos’ competitiveness among nations of the world. The importance of global competitiveness cannot be overstated. It directly affects the county’s economic prosperity and social welfare.

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