WE have become a nation in search of issues to talk about, and sometimes to quarrel over. Every little thing is blown out of proportion to make a case for or against it.
One example is the reported influx of Chinese students in universities in Cagayan province, a spark of an issue that was fanned enough to become an incendiary conflagration.
The mention of Cagayan and Chinese easily relates to the presence of the new EDCA site in that province, the opposition of Cagayan Gov. Mamba to the military site and to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement itself, and the brewing tension in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Those who like to confront China for its “aggressive” activities in the so-called West Philippine Sea inside the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone are quick to associate the presence of Chinese students in Cagayan with our vital national security.
They may be right or they may be wrong, but the issue just would not leave us. The so-called overpopulation of Chinese students in that northern province has divided the local officials there, and we are sure, its residents, too.
Cagayan Rep. Joseph “Jojo” Lara filed House Resolution No. 1666 seeking an inquiry into the alleged surge of Chinese students enrolling in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, saying they may pose a threat to national security. This has prompted national agencies like the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to verify the claims and the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to respond.
Rep. Lara said he has received reports from his constituents that there are at least 4,600 Chinese students in one private university alone and that they have been spotted in public places wearing student IDs.
‘We support the government’s active promotion of the country as an education hub in Asia but this should not distract us from guarding our borders.’
“I had a talk with NICA and CHED and two private schools during the last quarter of 2023 about this. These Chinese individuals are wearing student IDs, and are on long-term leases in residential apartments. They pay high amount of rental fees, but they don’t go out of their house,” Lara said.
“We just want to know why. We are not against having foreign students, but what we fear is we have an issue with China. If there are 4,600 Chinese students in one private university and the private university even admits it, it is very alarming,” Lara added. The CHED, meanwhile, confirmed that a significant number of Chinese students are studying at Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) in Tuguegarao City. There is no record of Chinese students in local public colleges and universities, it said.
Gov. Manuel Mamba said there is nothing to worry about. The Chinese students are just that–students under the international program of educational cooperation. Mamba noted that these students are obeying our laws.
The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), the largest Fil-Chinese business group in the Philippines, has called out the “unjust criticism” leveled at Chinese students in Cagayan province.
“We unequivocally denounce the unjust criticism directed towards Chinese students who have come to the Philippines to enhance their English proficiency. It is disheartening to witness such unwarranted attacks, particularly when our ASEAN neighbors, such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, host significantly larger numbers of Chinese students,” said FFCCCII President Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro in a statement.
Waving a red flag, conservative academician Fr. Ranhilio Aquino said the pro-China camp was engaging in a strawman argument; that charges of racism or Sinophobia are not in order here. He said qualified HEIs may internationalize by sending students and faculty members abroad or receiving them here, but we must heed the context, which is the ongoing territorial dispute with China.
We believe that on the issue of foreign students, the last word should be with Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, who said foreign nationals in the Philippines holding student visas may be subjected to intelligence investigation by authorities if found involved in illicit acts.
In a statement, Tansingco said under Executive Order 285, s. 2000, foreign nationals who acquire their student visas may be subjected to checks by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation for activities “which appear to be inimical to the security of the State.” The EO established an inter-agency committee on foreign students, which is headed by the Commission on Higher Education, together with NBI, NICA, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Education, and the BI.
Tansingco said the rise in students may be attributed to post-pandemic rebound, as well as the aggressive marketing of schools and government agencies to boost the country’s educational tourism.
We support the government’s active promotion of the country as an education hub in Asia but this should not distract us from guarding our borders.
