REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE

This section presents the review of both foreign and local related literature and studies on
themes closely similar to the present study. The knowledge and ideas obtained from review
augments the researchers’ insights enabling them to undertake the said study.
Foreign students in the Philippines
International students must contribute to the diversity and internationalization of their
classrooms, campuses, and communities as stated by Wu, H. P., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015).
For example, these students add different perspectives in the classroom and enhance the mutual
understanding and appreciation of the differences found around the world. Therefore, it is critical
to embrace international students on campuses because of their contributions that have positively
influenced the student population on so many distinct levels. They also enhance the academic
excellence of the colleges and universities they enter to because they are well-prepared
academically. These students should bring new divergent ways of thinking and catalyze academic
competition. Though these international students are performing well in their school, nevertheless,
academic requirements as well as that of language must meet.
Learning and understanding of sojourns about new views and perspectives towards life
can be achieved while studying in another country as mentioned by Poyrazli & Grahame (2007)
as cited by Chen, S.H. (2009). What characterizes international students from other sojourners are
the academic goal and school environment. Results of most researches showed that many
international students desired frequent social support from host national students in emotional,
practical, informational and in the form of social companionship (Chuah & Singh, 2016).
Suggestions are made to institutions of higher learning to create a more supportive and conducive
environment for intercultural contact in line with the efforts of internationalization.
The Philippines attracts students from more than 65 countries- USA, European countries
such as France and Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea to name
a few. Half of the foreign students come from East Asia, particularly from China, Korea, and
Taiwan, according to the UNESCO. While lots of foreign students are found anywhere in the world
like in US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, or Japan and some cannot ignore studying in the
Philippines. The number of international students in the Philippines is increasing rapidly.
According to Bureau of Immigration Statistics, foreigners studying in the country have increased
from 26,000 in 2013 to more than 61,000 in 2014. The foreign student population in 2011 was just
around 7700.

Nationality No. of Students Enrolled % Share

Korean 1672 21.53
Iranian 1053 13.56
Chinese 1042 13.42
American 590 7.60
Indian 529 6.81
South Korean 486 6.26
Indonesian 353 4.55
Nepalese 182 2.34
Thai 140 1.80
Kenyan 112 1.44
Vietnamese 112 1.44
Taiwanese 107 1.38
Japanese 99 1.27
Nigerian 90 1.16
Myanmar 88 1.13
Timorelese 62 0.80
Malaysian 54 0.70
Sudanese 53 0.68
Canadian 46 0.59
Pakistani 46 0.59
All Other Nationality 850 10.95
Total 7,766 100.00
Table 1. Distribution of foreign students by Nationality from highest to lowest number of enrolment
as of A/Y 2011-2012
Table 1 shows the distribution of foreign students by Nationality from highest to lowest
number of enrolment as of A/Y 2011-2012. The number of international students in the Philippines
is increasing rapidly. According to Bureau of Immigration Statistics, foreigners studying in the
country have increased from 26,000 in 2013 to more than 61,000 in 2014. The foreign student
population in 2011 was just around 7700. As shown in the table above, Korea ranked as first of
the countries with the most numbers of foreign students that are enrolled in the Philippines with a
total enrollees of 1,672 with 21.53% shares in national survey. Followed by Iran with 1,053
enrollees which is 13.56% shares; China with 1,042 enrollees which is 13.42% shares; USA with
590 which is 7.60% shares; then we have India in the 5th ranked with 529 enrollees which is around
6.81% shares; Indonesia with 353 enrollees which is 4.55% shares; followed by Nepal with 182
enrollees 2.34% shares; then Thailand with 140 enrollees with 1.80% shares. For the 10th rank we
have Kenya as well as Vietnam with 112 enrollees which is 1.44% shares; then Taiwan with 10
enrollees which is 1.38% shares; Japan with 99 enrollees which is 1.27% shares; Nigeria with 90
with 1.16% shares; followed by Myanmar with 54 number of enrollees; Timor with 62 which is
0.80% in general percentage. For the last five we have Malaysia with 54 number of enrollees which
is 0.70% in local percentage; and then Sudan with 53 which is 0.68%; Canada and Pakistan with
46 enrollees which is 0.59% general percentage. Other nationality includes 850 enrollees which is
covers 10.95% of the national share of percentage.
 As observed in the first three rankings, the number of enrollees are in thousands which
include the countries such as Korea, Iran and China, covers 47% almost half of the general
weighted average. This is an implication that more immigrant students came from these countries.
Some major foreign student population is shown country-wise on the bar graph. Other student
populations such as students from Indonesia, Nepal, Thai land, Kenya, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan,
Myanmar, Malaysia, Sudan, Canada and others cover up to 24.52%.
In Naga City, there are several students who are currently enrolled, specifically in Naga
College Foundation. Several students came from Nigeria, South Africa, USA and others.
 Visa and Migration Laws for International Students
A number of “foreigner-friendly immigration policies” have recently contributed to the
growing number of South Koreans and other international students arriving and staying in the
Philippines each year (Bureau of Immigration, March 2008). These include the introduction of
new visas, simpler, faster and more decentralized processing of study permits and visas, and new
regulations allowing foreigners to change their visa status (to become students) from within the
country.

The Philippine government, through the Bureau of Immigration, has two main visa categories
for foreign students wishing to study in the Philippines. One is a regular student visa, which would
allow up to one year of study at a degree-/diploma-granting institution, and the other is a special
study permit (SSP) for those who wish to enroll in a non-degree course. Non-degree courses are
generally English courses and short programs of less than one year (Bureau of Immigration, 2008).
Regular student visas are normally issued through Philippine embassies and consulates abroad
with the visa initially valid for one year, with the possibility for renewal after each semester
(University of the Philippines, n.d.c.). The student visa costs P9,820 (US$215) and takes
approximately one week to process. The SSP costs P3,730 ($80) and takes a few days to a week
to process. Compared with Australia – Asia-Pacific’s top exporter of educational services – where
international students pay approximately $375 for a visa application which takes approximately
three weeks to process, the Philippines has a competitive edge (Australian Government, 2008).

 Immigration to the Philippines

Although the predominant Philippine migration pattern is outbound, the country has
historically also attracted overseas migrants from the Asian region. The main source countries
have been Japan, China, Indonesia, India and Vietnam (Miralao, 2007). The first major in-
migration, before the Spanish arrived in the sixteenth century, came from Japan and China. While
the Japanese settled in the south, most Chinese sought out more developed areas including the
province of Cebu and the capital, Manila (Ang See, 2005 cited in Miralao, 2007; Azzurin, 2007 in
Miralao & Makil, 2007).

With the arrival of the Americans in 1898, a second major group of immigrants began arriving
in the Philippines. These included another wave of Japanese seeking to escape economic
difficulties at home, Indonesians dealing with overpopulation, and Indians who sought to expand
their businesses overseas (Azzurin 2007 in Miralao, 2007, Tan-Cullamark, 1989). At the end of
the Vietnam War in 1975 the UN Higher Commission on Refugees and the Philippine government
set up a camp for Vietnamese refugees on the island of Palawan. Refugees that were not resettled
to a developed country remained in Palawan where they settled into a distinctly Vietnamese
community (Miralao, 2007).

Today, migrants to the Philippines are arriving by choice, in search of economic, educational
and social opportunities. These migration patterns are an example of today’s globalizing world, as
people move semi-permanently across international borders for varying reasons and investments.
Despite the major economic growth that China has witnessed in recent years, a large number of
Chinese are seeking opportunities for settlement and investment in the Philippines. These new
immigrants include business people seeking new markets in the Philippines, migrants hoping to
learn English and then return to China with better job prospects and people searching for a way to
circumvent China’s one-child policy. The latter group benefits from a rule exempting overseas
Chinese who return to China from the one-child policy.

South Koreans are the most recent and visible group of migrants to the Philippines. Most South
Koreans travel to the Philippines to seek out economic and educational opportunities. In the 1990s,
South Koreans came to the Philippines to establish or expand their businesses, learn and improve
their English, undertake higher-education programs, or to establish religious groups. Most come
as temporary residents and stay in Metro Manila, as well as other cities such as Tarlac, Baguio,
Dumaguete and Cebu, with little to no intention of remaining in the country permanently (Miralao,
2007). Evidence of the increased migration of South Koreans to the Philippines may be seen in the
increased incidence of air travel between the two countries. At present there are three daily return
flights between the two countries and South Koreans now account for 15 percent of foreign arrivals
in the Philippines. In 2007, there were 86, 800 South Korean immigrants in the Philippines,
according to the Overseas Korean Foundation.

Quality Education

The Philippines is filled with proficient English teachers as Filipinos perform well in
English communication, both in written and verbal. In fact, the Philippines ranked first in the 2013
Business English Index, which evaluates competency of global workers in using English in the
workplace, with a rating of 7.95. The score fell in the intermediate category that meant Filipinos
‘can take an active role in business discussions and perform relatively difficult tasks.’ One of the
strong foundations for this is the inclusion of English in the basic and secondary education. But
aside from learning it in a classroom setting, there was widespread exposure from English in
various forms largely contribute to the fluency of the Filipinos. From street signs and
advertisements up to national television programs, all these were communicated in English.
Majority of the students who come to the Philippines to study want to learn the English language.
The ability to speak a global language may help a person see himself/herself as part of a
transnational community of English speakers. Since English has been widely accepted as the
medium of communication across various fields, learning it as a foreign language appeals to many
non-native English speakers especially in Asian countries (Sicat, 2011).
 Furthermore, the Philippines has become an ELT destination, especially for students from Asia
who prefer its proximity to home, but the country is also attracting increasing numbers of students
from around the world seeking to improve their English. It offers low costs of tuition and living
and is therefore providing a competitive alternative to traditional destinations such as the US,
where enrolments have seen a big fall, and the UK. There are direct transport links to many
regional capitals such as Seoul and Tokyo, as well as warm weather and a relaxed lifestyle and
many courses offer a semi-recreational experience while ELT is promoted by the Philippines
Department of Tourism.

 Quality improvements and Internationalization

Regarding qualitative improvements, achievements are notable in a number of areas, including
a slight increase in the number of higher education faculty holding higher degrees. The percentage
of instructors with master’s and doctoral degrees grew from 38.87 percent and 11.09 percent in
2010, respectively, to 40.34 and 12.62 percent in 2015. The number of HEIs with accredited
education programs, which is not mandatory in the Philippines, increased by more than 40 percent
between 2010 and 2016/17, while the pass rates of candidates sitting for professional licensing
exams, a measure of academic effectiveness, jumped from 33.9 to 58.6 percent between 2010 and
2015. In an attempt to boost the country’s research output, the government in 2017
also institutionalized the so-called “Balik (Returning) Scientist Program,” an initiative that was
first created in the 1970s to incentivize highly skilled Filipino researchers working abroad to return
to the Philippines. Benefits provided through the program include research grants, free health
insurance, and relocation allowances. As international education consultant Roger Chao Jr has
pointed out, it remains to be seen, however, how effective the program will be, given that the
offered incentives and research funding may not be competitive enough to lure established
scientists back to the Philippines.

Like most Asian countries, the Philippines also seeks to internationalize its education
system and promotes transnational education (TNE) partnerships with foreign HEIs. To formalize
this process and assure the quality of the programs offered, CHED in 2016 established concrete
guidelines for transnational programs. Importantly, programs can only be offered in collaboration
with a Philippine partner institution. Both the foreign provider and the Philippine partner
institution must also be officially recognized and seek authorization from CHED, which is initially
granted for a one-year period for graduate programs, and for two years in the case of undergraduate
programs.

 Outcomes of the Reforms

The government investments in education have led to substantial advances in standard

indicators of learning conditions, such as student-teacher and student-classroom ratios, both of
which improved significantly from 2010 to 2013, from 38:1 to 29:1 and from 64:1 to 47:1,
respectively. Elementary school completion rates also climbed from their 2005 low of under 70
percent to more than 83 percent in 2015. Net secondary school enrollment rates, meanwhile,
increased from under 60 percent in 2005 to 68.15 percent in 2015. The biggest advances, however,
were made in pre-school education. After the introduction of one year of mandatory Kindergarten
education in 2011, the net enrollment rate in Kindergarten jumped from 55 percent (2010) to 74.6
percent in 2015. Also encouraging was the fact that poorer families benefited strongly from the
reforms. The World Bank noted that in “2008, the gross enrollment rate in kindergarten for the
poorest 20 percent of the population was 33 percent, but this had increased to 63 percent by 2013.
Levels of kindergarten enrollment in the Philippines now compare favorably with rates in other
middle-income countries both within the region and globally”.

That said, the Philippines keeps trailing other South East Asian countries in a variety of
education indicators and the government has so far fallen short on a number of its own reform
goals. Strong disparities continue to exist between regions and socioeconomic classes – while 81
percent of eligible children from the wealthiest 20 percent of households attended high school in
2013, only 53 percent of children from the poorest 20 percent of households did the same. Progress
on some indicators is sluggish, if not regressing: completion rates at the secondary level, for
example, declined from 75 percent in 2010 to 74 percent in 2015, after improving in the years
between. Importantly, the Philippines government continues to spend less per student as a share
of per capita GDP than several other Southeast Asian countries, the latest budget increases
notwithstanding. It also remains to be seen how the K-12 reforms will affect indicators like
teacher-to-student ratios. In October 2015, it was estimated, that the government still needed to
hire 43,000 teachers and build 30,000 classrooms in order to implement the changes. Strong
population growth will also continue to put pressures on the education system. The Philippines has
one of the highest birth rates in Asia, and the government expects the population to grow to 142
million people by 2045.

 Outcomes in Higher Education

In higher education, the government seeks to expand access and participation, but even more
importantly, tries to improve the quality of education. The Philippine National Development Plan
is quite outspoken on this subject and notes that while “the number of higher education institutions
(HEIs) in the Philippines is ten times more than its neighboring countries’, the Philippines’
lackluster performance in producing innovators… , researchers (81 researchers per million
population versus 205 in Indonesia and 115 in Vietnam), and knowledge producers (28 out of 777
journals or 3.6 percent are listed under Thomson Reuters, Scopus, or both) indicates … that the
country has lagged behind many of its ASEAN neighbors in producing the researchers, innovators
and solutions providers needed to effectively function in a knowledge economy”.

Participation in higher education in the Philippines has, without question, expanded

strongly in recent years. The gross tertiary enrollment rate increased from 27.5 percent in 2005 to
35.7 percent in 2014, while the total number of students enrolled in tertiary education grew from
2.2 million in 1999 to 4.1 million in 2015/16. Filipino experts have noted that the number of
graduates from higher education programs has recently “exceeded expectations.” The bold
decision of President Duterte in 2017 to make education at state universities and colleges tuition-
free may help to further boost enrollments, even though critics contend that the costly move will
sap the public budget while providing few discernible social benefits. These critics maintain that
tuition-free education will primarily benefit wealthier students since only 12 percent of students at
state institutions come from low-income households.
 At the same time, the K-12 reforms will inevitably lead to decreased higher education
enrollments, at least in the short-term, since many of the students that would usually have entered
higher education after grade 10 now have to complete two additional years of school. Between
2015/16 and 2016/17, the total number of tertiary students already dropped from 4.1 million to 3.6
million a decrease that is particularly apparent when looking at undergraduate enrollments. Data
from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shows that undergraduate enrollments
dropped by 12.7 percent between the 2015/16 and 2016/17 academic years, and is expected to drop
by a further 22 percent in 2017/18, before starting to recover in 2018/19, when the first K-12
cohorts start to enter higher education.

Socio-culture adaptation
Successful intercultural transition and must focus on academic mission are the most
important challenges for international students (Cushner & Karim, 2004). They should handle the
challenges effectively and adjust according to the host culture to avoid less satisfaction with their
performance and even quit. Therefore, adjustments to cultures of host countries are equally
important for international students. A prolonged cultural-adjustment period can cause
international students to drop out of institution before completing a program or take considerably
longer to complete programs than domestic students (Garcia, M.S., 2015).
Students studying abroad go through an extreme adjustment stress because not only do they
make the educational environment transitions, but they are also trying to adjust to life in a new
country. The stresses caused by the cultural adjustments have been considered to have significant
effects on international students. Several psychological crises such as low self-esteem,
disappointment, resentment, anger, sadness, physical illness and other symptoms of cultural shock
are the shared experiences of the international students (Sullivan, C., & Kashubeck -West, S.
2015).
Cultural adjustment and acculturation process is linked to coping as averred by Ozturgut,
O., & Murphy, C. (2009). The international students can be expected to develop a variety of coping
strategies that allow them to function adequately. Gay, G. (2002) proposes the notion that
understanding students’ needs and how they cope in their new environment provide educators
insights to be effectual in their teaching. It is viewed that diversity of the classroom provides them
the opportunity to reflect on the learning environment, their teaching strategies and most
importantly, develop professional skills in their job (Inoue, Y. Ed. 2006). The phenomenon of this
subject is real among international students in higher education institutions in the Philippines
(Mbaleka & Joseph (2013).
In the study conducted by Sicat (2011) foreign students usually deal with adjusting to the
culture of the host country and may feel invisible during their classes. They are also fazed by the
pressure of living independently which make them feel lonely, homesick and isolated from the
domestic students. Foreign students face depression due to ‘lack of concentration and low
motivation’ with regards to their academics and social life. Hence, sociocultural adaptation appears
to be vital in the overall academic achievement of foreign students. It is influenced by various
factors that support ‘culture learning and social skills acquisition. Letting the foreign students feel
a sense of belongingness and acceptance from their peers and professors would positively affect
their academic stay in the host university. Aside from the behavioral aspect, cognitive adaptation
is also an important factor in determining the sociocultural adaptation of foreign students. Majority
 of the students who come to the Philippines to study want to learn the English language. The ability
to speak a global language may help a person see himself/herself as part of a transnational
community of English speakers. Since English has been widely accepted as the medium of
communication across various fields, learning it as a foreign language appeals to many non-native
English speakers especially in Asian countries.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The conceptual framework of this study adopted the System approach (Input- Process-
output System) which is a specification of how different input, intermediate, and output variables
from causal relationships in a system. Figure 1 shows the conceptual paradigm of this study.
The input of the study consist the reasons why foreign students choose to study at Naga
College Foundation; Cultural adjustments foreign students undergone in their school; Benefits
Naga College Foundation institution will get from the foreign students.
The process comprised of collection of data through informal interview and documentary
analysis; analysis and interpretation of data collected.
The output of this study is to know the reasons why foreign students choose to study at
Naga College foundation. The findings will serve as guide in making modification in the input,
process, and output for the betterment of the study.
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
1. Collection of data thru:
1. Reasons why foreign
students choose to study at - Informal interview
Naga College Foundation
- Documentary Analysis
2. Cultural adjustments Reasons why foreign
2. Analysis and
foreign students undergone students choose to study
Interpretation of Data
in their school at Naga College
Collected
Foundation
3. Benefits Naga College
3. Formulation on what are
Foundation institution will
the factors that opted
get from the foreign
students to study at Naga
students
College Foundation

FIGURE 1. CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM

 ENDNOTES
Maricel C. San Diego (2017). Sociocultural Adjustment of Foreign Students in the Philippines.
International Journal of Emerging Multidisciplinary Research, 1(1), 49-52. DOI:
10.22662/IJEMR.2017.1.1.049.
Dr. Rodrigo M Sicat (2011). Foreign Students’ Cultural Adjustment and Coping Strategies. 2011
International Conference on Social Science and Humanity IPEDR vol.5 (2011) © (2011) IACSIT
Press, Singapore
Jerson L. Mariño, Phd1 Meynard D. Montalbo, Phd2 Mahjalin Araiza S. Bugtong, Rpm3. (2017).
The Socio-Culture Adaptation Among International Students at Selected Schools of Batangas
Province, Philippines. http://www.ijepc.com/PDF/IJEPC-2017-05-09-07.pdf
Way2philippines.com. (2017). Foreign students in the Philippines. http://studyinphil.com/know-
philippines/foreign-students-in-philippines/
Julia Goquingco & Sophia J Lowe. (2009). Not Just Exporting: Philippines Becoming an
Attractive Destination for International Students. https://wenr.wes.org/2009/01/wenr-january-
2009-not-just-exporting-philippines-becoming-an-attractive-destination-for-international-
students
www.britishcouncil.org/education-intelligence (2016). Transnational education in the Philippines
Opportunities and Challenges
https://www.britishcouncil.ph/sites/default/files/transnational_education_in_the_philippines_opp
ortunities_and_challenges.pdf