Philippine Schools Overseas help 25,000 students stay connected to PH education system — CFO

Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs) continue to play a key role in helping children of overseas Filipinos remain connected to the country’s education system, with around 25,000 students currently enrolled in 36 accredited schools across 11 countries, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

In a statement, the CFO said PSOs help address some of the social challenges associated with labor migration by allowing Filipino students abroad to follow the Department of Education’s curriculum and transition more easily into Philippine schools should they return home.

The agency highlighted the role of the schools during a recent meeting between CFO officials and alumni of Philippine Schools Overseas in Davao City.

CFO Chairperson Dante “Klink” Ang II said the agency is seeking to strengthen engagement with overseas Filipino students and alumni as part of broader efforts to maintain ties between Filipinos abroad and the Philippines.

Under Executive Order No. 252, the CFO serves as the secretariat of the Inter-Agency Committee on Philippine Schools Overseas.

The PSOs are educational institutions operating outside the Philippines that implement the country’s basic education curriculum.

According to the CFO, there are currently 36 accredited Philippine Schools Overseas in Bahrain, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

These schools serve approximately 25,000 students from pre-elementary to high school and employ around 1,000 teachers and administrators.

The agency said the schools help ensure educational continuity for Filipino children living abroad while preserving their cultural and national identity.

During the meeting, alumni shared their experiences studying in PSOs and discussed the challenges of adjusting both to life abroad and to returning to the Philippines.

Participants also agreed to establish an initial network among alumni and expressed openness to future engagements with the CFO.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas is an agency under the Office of the President tasked with promoting the welfare and strengthening the ties of Filipinos permanently residing overseas with their home country. — BAP, GMA News