COMMISSION on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera III on Wednesday said that allowing foreign-owned schools in the country would be beneficial.

De Vera noted that the Philippines is one of the very few countries in the region that has restrictions on foreign ownership and participation in higher education.

The CHED chair then cited how other Asian countries’ opening up to foreign ownership in higher education has made the institutions more competitive in their internationalization efforts.

He mentioned Malaysia and Singapore as models of countries that not only amended their laws to allow foreign companies to participate in their higher education structure but also gave incentives to encourage foreign schools to set up and participate in the provision of higher education.

De Vera said that the CHED higher education system should also include the provision of incentives to encourage foreign nationals and foreign companies to open higher learning institutions in the country.

Meanwhile, De Vera said that it would be up to Congress if the foreign schools will also have their academic freedom, saying that such is not absolute.

“Of course, we want to make sure that academic freedom as a principle is part and parcel of all academic institutions, but academic freedom is also not absolute. There is jurisprudence determining the limits of academic freedom. So, I think it will be determined if ever the constitutional amendment will happen on how and what kind of law Congress will enact,” De Vera said.

Section 5 (2) of Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution provides that “[a]cademic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning.”