To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Regional Directors
Heads of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities
Presidents, State Colleges and Universities
Vocational School Superintendents/Administrators

1. The declared policy of Government is to require prior authority for the operation of any educational institution or for any course/program offering in authorized schools. This is done through the permit and recognition system instituted in existing laws. Notwithstanding this requirement, some foreign schools, colleges, universities or other types of educational institutions operating abroad advertise or case the publication of advertisement or announcements in loyal national papers or through local representative offices, directly soliciting students to enroll in these educational institutions abroad or in their course/program offerings.
2. Lately, reports have reached this Department or problems faced by these students occasioned by financial difficulties encountered while enrolled or by failed acceptance as a result of a foreign school’s solicitation. In certain cases, students have been threatened deportation by governments of countries where the schools are located.
3. These practices have compelled the Government into intervening in such compromising developments to avoid international embarrassment and to take appropriate steps towards the resolution of these problems. In order to avoid or prevent a repetition of reported incidents of this nature arising from direct solicitations, this Department hereby initiates corrected measure through this issuance.
4. Among these measures are:
   1. require prior favorable endorsement by this Department of any application for registration of any proposed incorporation for the purpose of offering students educational services, or of any application of any foreign corporation for license to do business of this kind in the Philippines before its registration of approval by Securities and Exchange Commission;
   2. prior approval of any media advertisements soliciting student enrollment in any foreign school by the school administration itself or by a local representative.
5. Effective immediately, all foreign schools directly or through country representatives soliciting admission or enrollment of Filipino students in foreign schools shall register their corporations or agencies and submit a report of their solicitation procedures and activities to the Chief, Foreign Schools Division, Bureau of Higher Education, this Department, for review and approval by the Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports.
6. The cooperation and support of all media establishments are hereby solicited for the protection of the Filipino students and in the interest of Philippine sovereign integrity.
7. Wide dissemination of this Order is enjoined.

(SGD.) TOMAS V. SANTOS
Undersecretary
Office-in-Charge

Reference: None
Allotment: 1-3-4(M.O. 1-87)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
POLICY
RULES AND REGULATIONS
SCHOOLS
STUDENTS