Senate probe sought on alleged sale of diplomas to foreign students

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking an investigation into the alleged sale of college degrees to foreign students in the province of Cagayan has been filed in the Senate.

In filing his Senate Resolution No. 1007, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the probe would focus on identifying the veracity of the allegations and the necessity of proposing recommendations or amendatory legislation on existing policies.

“On April 17, news broke out that some of the mainland Chinese students in the province of Cagayan are reportedly shelling out P2 million to obtain their degrees, as reported by Professor Chester Cabalza of the University of the Philippines. Some of these students allegedly do not even bother to attend their classes,”  Gatchalian’s resolution reads.

PH diplomas not for sale

Gatchalian, the chairperson of the Senate panel on basic education, said the county supports the “internalization” in education but emphasized that any practice allowing “diploma mills” in the Philippines must not be allowed.

“The sale of said degrees undermines the [government’s] efforts to improve the quality of education in the country, diminishes the credibility of our HEIs (Higher Education Institutions), and tarnishes the integrity of the diplomas granted to local or foreign students graduating from these institutions,” Gatchalian said.

“It is within the powers and functions of the Commission on Higher Education to impose appropriate penalties or sanctions on HEIs and their officials who condone such practices,” he added.

According to the senator, the message must be sent clearly to the international community that “Philippine diplomas are not, and never will be, for sale.”

In a joint statement, universities and colleges in Cagayan previously denied the allegations that the presence of Chinese students in the province threatens national security.

The Medical Colleges of the Northern Philippines, University of Cagayan Valley, University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao, and Saint Paul University Philippines labeled the allegations as a mere “display of racism and sinophobia.”

READ: Cagayan schools: ‘Baseless’ to say Chinese students threaten PH security

Cagayan Representative Joseph Lara earlier claimed that the number of Chinese students in Cagayan Valley is estimated to exceed 4,000.

READ: Most Chinese student visa holders in Metro Manila, not Cagayan—Bi

This, however, was debunked by Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval, who said about 1,500 Chinese nationals in Cagayan province were granted student visas in 2023. She added that only 400 of them “are still on the ground” or attending classes in-person based on their latest checking.