Almost every Filipino has a family member or friend working abroad — whether as a professional, machine operator, sales worker, caregiver, or domestic helper. And every family that an OFW supports is one less Filipino household in need.
According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as of 2023 was recorded at 2.16 million. Their remittances from OFWs amounted to ₱238.63 billion, underscoring their vital contribution to the Philippine economy. Every OFW who earns more creates a ripple effect that benefits not only their families but also the rest of the country.
But how do we help them more?
From the University of the Philippines’ perspective, the answer lies in upskilling our fellow Filipinos working abroad through formal and continuing education. With upgraded skills and qualifications, they can pursue better-paying positions, transition to new career paths, reintegrate into the local workforce, or even start their own businesses when they return to the Philippines.
This is what the University of the Philippines seeks to provide through the UP Ventures for Innovative and Transnational Academia (UP VINTA) program. Through the UP VINTA, UP hopes to revolutionize education by offering accessible, inclusive, and lifelong learning opportunities through innovative online platforms to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families. The program is driven by the vision of making UP education accessible and borderless, ensuring that knowledge knows no bounds.
In his speech at the Philippine Embassy in Japan on 22 March 2024 during UP VINTA’s launch in the country, UP President Angelo Jimenez affirmed the University’s commitment to promoting lifelong learning: “…we want to organize it on a larger scale—to capacitate everyone to make a better life for themselves and for the country.”
The UP VINTA program is a strategic response by the UP System to expand its academic presence globally, especially for the benefit of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families. It aims to deliver flexible, accessible, and high-quality UP education through degree programs, massive open online courses (MOOCs), non-formal courses, and microcredentials. Most of these courses are offered online by the UP Open University (UPOU).
“UP VINTA is our commitment to inclusivity—to provide education for Filipinos wherever they may be in the world,” says UP President Angelo A. Jimenez during his speech at the Philippine Embassy in Japan.
In the last school year alone, UPOU catered to 309 students based abroad across its 37 degree programs. Many more have completed their studies at UPOU, including Mr. Anselmo Alarilla, a graduate of the UPOU Diploma in Land Use Planning (Class of 2021), who now works as a Contracts Manager in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Studying at a prestigious institution like UPOU is truly inspiring,” said Anselmo Alarilla, DLUP Alumnus (2021)
“I am very happy, of course, and grateful to UPOU for the opportunity to complete my postgraduate degree in Land Use Planning. This achievement allowed me to take the board exam for the licensure of environmental planner, and I’m very proud to share with you that now I am a licensed environmental planner.”
In addition, Vivienne Abrugena, a UPOU Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN) alumna (Class of 2004), also shared how her studies at UPOU fast-tracked her professional growth.
“I got the opportunity to work here in the US, and so I got into that post-master’s certificate program to become a nurse practitioner. Normally, it was going to take two to three years of study, [but] it just became over a year for me because all my courses for MAN were credited. …I’m very grateful for the UPOU program because that just paved the way for me to where I am right now.”
“I’m very grateful for the UPOU program because that just paved the way for me to where I am right now.” – Vivienne Abrugena, UPOU MAN Alumna, Class of 2004
Mr. Whilliedel Palapas, a Master of Distance Education alumnus (Class of 2020), also shared how his education at UPOU helped him move up in his teaching profession in the United States of America:
“My UPOU degree tremendously helped in climbing up the teacher ranking, which translates to a higher salary. With a master’s degree from UPOU and an additional 36 credit units from Bataan Peninsula State University, I obtained Rank One in the district—which is one step away from the highest rank any teacher can get. This makes me get paid a lot higher than most of the teachers who have been in the profession for decades, but who only possess a bachelor’s degree. Ito ay patunay na UPOU degrees are worth it. My UPOU diploma is recognized here in the US, and comparatively, the investment is too small as compared to studying here in the US, where it would cost anyone thousands of dollars just to obtain a master’s degree.”
“Studying at UPOU opened doors I never imagined,” said Whilliedel Palapas, MDE alumnus (2020)
The UP Open University is mandated to provide UP-quality education to Filipinos all over the world. Through the UP VINTA program, UP aims to extend its reach to more OFWs, providing them the opportunity to improve their lives, uplift their families, and contribute to national development. As UPOU Chancellor Joane V. Serrano stated about UP VINTA, “For me, UP VINTA embodies UPOU’s commitment to lifelong learning — one that transcends geographical boundaries and fosters inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity.”
Do you have a family member abroad? Share the great opportunity of UP VINTA and join the increasing number of students who find their lives transformed by a UP education.
Visit upvinta.upou.edu.ph for more information.
Written by Anna Cañas-Llamas ♦ Edited by Primo Garcia
#UPOpenUniversity
