It will help them transition and rebuild their careers in the Philippines.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is offering the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) to returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), who may struggle to enter the local job market due to the lack of formal academic credentials.
The said program allows them to make use of their extensive international work experience. Under which, displaced or repatriated OFWs, recent returnees, and skilled workers with at least five years of experience—especially those displaced by ongoing Middle East conflict—seek to formalize their qualifications for career advancement or transition ate prioritized.
“The objective is to improve employment readiness, enable career mobility, and support the reintegration of OFWs into the local workforce through accessible and credible pathways to formal credentials,” said CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis.
To support nationwide access, enlistment kiosks will be set up in state universities, colleges, and private higher education institutions, offering on-site registration, pre-assessment, and advising services.
As part of that, CHED recently launched the ETEEAP National Registration and Onboarding for Lifelong Learning Overseas Filipino Workers Online Enlistment System.
Introduced during the “ETEEAP sa Bagong Pilipinas Forum” on April 7 at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) in Manila, the platform allows easier registration and pre-assessment for OFWs, allowing their years of professional experience to be recognized as academic equivalency under the ETEEAP.
This will help Filipino workers transform years of hard-earned experience abroad into recognized college degrees, which will then open doors for them to better jobs, promotions, and new opportunities when they return home.
At the launch, Agrupis was joined by DLS-CSB President Br. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC, Chancellor Benhur Ong, as well as representatives from other government agencies.
“To our OFWs—hindi kayo magsisimula muli. Bibigyan natin ng pormal na pagkilala ang inyong kakayahan at ang inyong natutunan,” added Agrupis.
According to CHED, a demand survey conducted in January 2026 saw 5,174 OFWs expressing interest in alternative higher education pathways, with the highest demand in hospitality and tourism, health and allied sciences, and teacher education.
To date, there are 112 ETEEAP-deputized higher education institutions, six HEIs offering microcredentials, and 24 open and distance e-learning (ODeL) providers expanding access for learners nationwide.
Institutionalized under a law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2025, ETEEAP allows working professionals to convert years of experience into academic credits toward a college degree.
Under the current implementation of ETEEAP, there are 1,409 OFWs currently enrolled while still abroad, with CHED data showing that 333 OFWs have graduated through ETEEAP as of February 2026—many of whom have since earned promotions or secured better job opportunities.
