Filipino migrant workers without college diplomas now have a direct pathway to earn academic credentials through a centralized digital platform the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently put in place.
The new system, called Enroll OFWs, is the operational backbone of the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (Eteeap) and allows overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to register and complete pre-assessment from wherever they are in the world. According to The Manila Times, the platform was unveiled at a forum held at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s (DLS-CSB) Design + Arts campus.
CHED Chairman Dr. Shirley Agrupis said the initiative goes beyond awarding diplomas. “The objective is to improve employment readiness, enable career mobility, and support the reintegration of OFWs,” she said. “Taken together, these initiatives reflect a more responsive and coordinated approach to workforce reintegration that aligns education, labor, and migration systems in a more practical way.”
Agrupis added that enrollment under the program is already underway, with figures reflecting significant uptake. “At present, we already have 1,409 OFW enrollees under the Eteeap who are currently based overseas, primarily from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States, taking programs in engineering, business and finance, allied health, education, and other fields aligned with their professional experiences,” she said.
The enlistment process will operate through a combination of online registration portals and on-site kiosks at participating higher education institutions across the country.
Benilde has been one of the longest-running Eteeap partners, having offered the alternative degree program since 2004. Its CHED-accredited offerings include Hospitality and Luxury Management, Information Systems, Music Production, Production Design, and Dance — fields structured to validate professional experience in lieu of traditional coursework.
“We saw early on that education must evolve. It must meet learners where they are and must honor the diverse path they took towards excellence,” Benilde Chancellor Benhur Ong said. “Through the years, Benilde has worked to refine and strengthen its Eteeap offerings, ensuring that they are rigorous, relevant and responsive to industry demands.”
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is among the agencies coordinating with CHED on the program. Assistant Secretary Joel Gonzales said the department’s role is to ensure that academic recognition translates into concrete outcomes for workers. “Eteeap recognizes the skills and experience of our workers. DOLE ensures that these are translated into real opportunities, jobs, livelihood, and protection,” he said.
Alongside DOLE, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Commission on Filipino Overseas, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are all part of the interagency structure supporting credential recognition for Filipinos abroad.
A live walkthrough of the Enroll OFWs Online Enlistment System was conducted by CHED Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro and Benilde Eteeap candidate Judy Ann Melo, an Italy-based professional enrolled in Hospitality and Luxury Management.
