Online degree programs were first introduced in the Philippines in the early 1990s, as there has been a continuous growth recorded in the number of government and private institutions in the country. Also during this period, the Commission for Higher Education (CHED), one of the three government organizations that deal with the education system in the country, encouraged many educational institutions to offer distance learning programmes. The move was motivated by the increase in population and higher enrollment rates in higher education over the past years.
The 1990s – the rise of open universities
One of the recognized higher education institutions (HEI) offering online degree programs in the country is the Philippine Open University (UPOU), which was founded in 1995. OPOU is a pioneer in open and distance education in the Philippines. Another notable open university in the country is the Polytechnic of the Philippines Open University (PUPOU). PUPOU began offering online degree courses in 1990. The Asian Institute for Distance Education (AIDE) is one of four government-recognised distance learning providers in the country offering full-fledged academic degrees. Other pioneers of online degree programs are the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) with its eLearning Access program, and Dela Sal University (DLSU). The online programs offered by these online universities include undergraduate programs, graduate certificate programs, post-baccalaureate programs, master’s program, and doctoral programs.
2000 – Technological developments in higher education institutions
The e-learning market started to emerge in the Philippines in the early 2000’s. However, the online courses offered at that time were only limited to certificate and apprenticeship. The government agency that helps facilitate these online programs is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Today TESDA offers various online courses in the fields of information technology, tourism, electronics, automotive, HVAC, and agriculture under the so-called Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Although these programs only provide diploma and certificate courses, TESDA has ladder programs from these to certificate courses.
At the turn of the millennium, Internet technology started to gain momentum in the education system in the Philippines. This technological achievement is giving way to the emergence of more public and private higher education institutions that offer online courses. According to one study, the number of Internet users increased by about 291% during the period 2000-2006, which is equivalent to 7.82 million people. According to the Philippine ICT statistics portal, mobile phone subscription doubled from 2006 to 2011 and fixed broadband subscription more than quadrupled over the same time frame. According to StateUniversity.com, several public and private websites have also sprung up to offer online programs and services to students in higher education. Among these institutions are the Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, Kodiko Online, 2StudyIt.com, Education for Life Foundation, Estudyante.com, FAPENET, Gurong Pahinugod, and Iskolar.com.
2010 – Impact of High Economic Growth on Higher Education Programs
According to Business World Online, there were approximately 2,300 higher education institutions in the Philippines and 1,259 of them were offering degrees in 2012. According to CHED, enrollment in tertiary education was 3.3 million in the same year. Based on a course. These are online courses in Education, Management, Public Administration, Agriculture, Media and Communication, Health and Allied Sciences, Computer Studies, Business, Architecture and Engineering.
The Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) can be considered as one of the major achievements in improving online degree program offerings in the Philippines. Under this program, students desiring a bachelor’s degree can complete their studies in about a year or so, and they also have the option of taking the program online from accredited online colleges and universities.
Driven by the growing economy, more and more higher education institutions are offering online degree courses to both Filipino and international students across the country today. And with educational programs offered by TESDA and CHED, online degree programs in the country are expected to continue to grow in the coming years.