Manila: The House of Representatives Committee on Higher and Technical Education on Tuesday approved Bill 7875, or the proposed Philippine Global Education City Act, which seeks to position the Philippines as a regional hub for world-class higher education, research, and educational tourism.
According to Philippines News Agency, the bill is principally authored by Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre. At the center of the proposal is the establishment of Global Education Cities (GECs). These designated zones will host foreign higher education institutions (FHEIs) of recognized international standing. Within these zones, institutions may operate at global standards under a defined regulatory framework, while remaining aligned with national development priorities and constitutional safeguards.
The measure is structured to ensure that the entry of global institutions strengthens, rather than displaces, the local higher education sector. It introduces safeguards to preserve the international character of foreign campuses and ensure complementarity with domestic institutions, while directing programs toward high-demand and underserved fields.
To maximize impact, the bill organizes these institutions into specialized academic clusters, including medicine, maritime sciences, engineering, information technology, business, and governance. These are supported by targeted fiscal and operational incentives aligned with national priorities, such as healthcare capacity, disaster resilience, digital transformation, and workforce development.
Acidre, chair of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said the measure responds to a persistent gap in the country's higher education system. He noted that while the Philippines continues to produce a large pool of skilled and globally competitive graduates, opportunities for advanced, world-class education and research remain limited, often pushing talent to seek these abroad.
He emphasized that the proposal is designed to complement the country's existing higher education institutions, positioning Global Education Cities as a platform to raise standards across the system. Acidre assured that funding will not be at the expense of local higher education institutions, but rather designed to bring in additional resources that ultimately support the totality of the higher education system.
The bill ultimately seeks to transform the Philippines into a premier destination for global education, generating high-value jobs, strengthening research and innovation, and creating globally competitive career pathways for Filipinos. By opening the country to world-class institutions while reinforcing the foundations of its local higher education system, the measure positions education as a strategic driver of national development.
