Press Release
July 7, 2011

INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS OF SUC'S - ANGARA

Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the inclusion of two Philippine universities in the list of the top 50 English-teaching universities in the world is a great achievement, though it demonstrates the superiority of private schools in the country.

The University of the Philippines (UP) and the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) were ranked 34th and 35th respectively, according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). De La Salle University (DLSU) also made it into the 50-100 bracket, while the University of Santo Tomas (UST) placed in the 101-150 bracket.

Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, said that other state universities and colleges (SUC's) should also penetrate such rankings.

"This is a clear indication that Philippine universities are globally competitive," said Angara. "This should motivate us to invest all the more in improving our SUC's."

Angara, former UP president, explained: "The ideal scenario would be to have 70 percent of all Filipino students attend quality, state-funded schools. At present however, a big chunk of the cost of higher learning is shouldered by families. The government ought to invest more in our SUC's, especially in science and technology research and faculty training."

Angara stressed that investing in education is critical in bolstering the country's overall competitiveness.

"There is an uncontested correlation between educational development and national progress. If we invest in improving our SUCs, we invest in the long-term progress of the Philippines," he said.

Of the 112 SUC's in the Philippines, only UP ranks consistently in the annual QS surveys. UP placed 62nd in the list of top 200 universities in Asia. Privately run ADMU (67th), UST (104th) and DLSU (107th) are the only other Philippine schools that ranked in the list.

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