Overseas Pinoy students’ top problem? Academic failure due to misinformation
Photo from Emily Ranquist via Pexels
From the distortion of public opinion to blatant historical denialism, the main villain has always been dis/misinformation. Now, it seems to have infiltrated academia, with overseas Filipino scholars as its latest victims.
According to IDP Education Philippines director Jose Miguel Habana, many Filipino students deal with various misinformation-induced challenges upon setting foot in their chosen academic institution. Course mismatch, difficulty in adapting to climate and culture, and poor work-study balance are among these hurdles—ultimately leading to academic failure.
And yet, their population grows each year
Despite the clear setback, the same organization confirmed that the Filipino student body continues to grow abroad—especially in Canada—in hopes of experiencing quality education and securing better work opportunities.
“We know that students who study internationally, [they’re] all about helping their families, helping their economy, [increasing] their means of living, [and supporting] their siblings and relatives,” said IDP sales and operations head Maria Cecilia Mundo.
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She also revealed that many Filipinos pursue programs that aren’t available in the Philippines, with “about 60 percent” taking postgraduate studies. The most in-demand academic fields include business and management, health and health-allied courses, information technology, data analytics, hospitality and tourism, engineering, age care and early childhood, creative arts, and game and design.
IDP’s approach to mitigating misinformation
To address this concern, IDP swears by a student-centric approach. “Since we are [a] ‘student-first’ [organization], we don’t favor any institution. We’re focused on the students’ goals,” said Mundo.
The organization offers free counseling services to ensure that students are guided toward the right academic institutions, courses, and countries, sans any “upfront payment.”
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“We only earn the moment students are placed in the institution. We [only] get a commission once they start enrolling,” Habana emphasized. “We also have our IDP colleagues offshore, [ensuring] that the transition [is] smooth, [and] that the students are able to adapt.”
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Habana also highlighted IDP’s commitment to maintaining connections with their alumni, and monitoring their conditions after they have completed their studies to tailor its services better.
In result, the organization has seen an annual growth of 56 to 70 percent in the number of students (successfully) landing jobs abroad.
