MANILA: The Philippine government on Wednesday welcomed the UAE’s recognition of University of the Philippines Open University degrees as paving the way for better job opportunities and career advancement for Filipinos in the Gulf state.
UPOU, a public research university located south of Metro Manila, has been recognized for equivalency by the UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
“Equivalency is a big help for Filipino professionals working abroad. That allows them to practice their trade and get the same recognition that they enjoy here in the Philippines,” Dante Francis Ang II, secretary of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.
His office will be reaching out to Filipinos based in the UAE and encouraging them to get a degree or take further studies, he said.
UPOU operates as part of the Philippines’ national university, the University of the Philippines.
It said that the “landmark accreditation” is expected to pave the way for overseas Filipino workers, or OFWs, in the UAE to leverage their UPOU degrees for career advancement and employment opportunities.
“Prior to the said accreditation, OFWs with UPOU degrees reportedly faced challenges in career advancement since their graduate programs were not recognized by the UAE,” UPOU said.
UP President Angelo Jimenez said that the recognition will likely strengthen the Philippines’ macroeconomic stability “by increasing overseas remittances and reducing the final strain on welfare services extended to OFWs,” as it would enable them to earn higher salaries.
“This development will have a profound impact on the professional and economic mobility of our OFWs, enabling them to transition from high-risk, low-paying jobs to safer, more stable and higher-income positions,” Jimenez said.
Out of more than 2 million overseas Filipino workers, whose remittance inflows account for about 9 percent of their country’s gross domestic product, about 700,000 live in the UAE — the second-largest employer of Philippine expats after Saudi Arabia.
