Over 100 overseas Filipinos in Phnom Penh gathered on 29–30 November 2025 as the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) launched the UP VINTA program, offering information sessions, consultations, and pathways for further study. The two-day caravan became a lively gathering of OFWs eager to learn about UPOU’s academic offerings, explore flexible learning opportunities, and engage with the Filipino community abroad.
The UP VINTA engagement kicked off on 29 November 2025 with the opening of the UPOU booth during the Service Caravan and 17th Multi-Agency Service Mission in Phnom Penh. The booth quickly attracted OFWs eager to inquire and learn more about UPOU, drawing almost 50 engagements from Filipino community members. Many shared their excitement upon learning that they could pursue UP education fully online and even while working overseas. Questions poured in about graduate programs, MOOCs, and continuing education courses, showing the community’s strong interest in upskilling and further studies.
Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez engaged with the OFWs in the UPOU Booth in the Service Caravan and 17th Multi-Agency Service Mission in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The enthusiasm carried over to 30 November 2025, when UPOU—in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the Teachers’ Learning Action Guild in Cambodia (TLAGC)—hosted the UP VINTA Learning Caravan, an in-depth orientation session tailored for the Filipino community.
More than 70 OFWs—and even a few Cambodian participants, mostly teachers—joined the caravan, eager to learn about admission pathways, scholarship opportunities, flexible study options, and the support systems available for online learners. Many shared their aspirations to complete a degree, shift careers, or further strengthen their professional skills while working abroad.
Participants of the UP VINTA Learning Caravan in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, together with the UPOU delegation, representatives from the Philippine Embassy, and members of the TLAGC.
The session highlighted how UPOU’s open and distance e-learning model enables Filipinos, especially educators overseas, to pursue quality and borderless UP education, no matter where they are in the world.
Chancellor Joane Serrano with H.E. Flerida Ann Camille Mayo, Philippine Ambassador to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Representing UPOU during the Phnom Penh activities were Chancellor Prof. Joane V. Serrano; Asst. Prof. Charisse Reyes, Dean of the Faculty of Education; Assoc. Prof. Roberto Figueroa Jr., Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies; and Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez, Assistant to the Chancellor for UP VINTA and representative of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies.
Written by Kimberly Rose Robles | Edited by Lorena Jean Saludadez
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