Marcos dismayed over low ranking of PH universities in Asia list; says much work needs to be done  

While more Philippine universities were included in the recent world rankings, President Marcos expressed disappointment over the non-ranking of any Philippine university in the top 100 Asia University Rankings.

The results, he said, calls for a comprehensive strategy in order to turn the trend around.

"As of December 2023, 81 Philippine higher educational institutions (HEIs) have been included in various world university rankings, a significant ranking from the 52 that were included in July 2023," Marcos said in his speech during the National Higher Education Day Summit on Wednesday, May 15.

"However,  we must acknowledge that in the recent Times Higher Education 2024 Asia University Rankings, unfortunately, no Philippine University has reached top 100, with the country's top schools either dropping or maintaining their rankings," he lamented.

With this, the President stressed that there is still much work needs to be done in the educational sector, stressing that the most important service the government must provide is "good education."

"This just goes to show that much work is still to be done. We must pursue a comprehensive and all-encompassing strategy that will turn this trend around," Marcos said.

He emphasized that "the state of our education today shapes the future of the nation."

In the Times Higher Education 2024 Asia University Rankings released this month, the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) topped the list of Philippine universities, ranking in the 401-500 bracket, while 14 more Philippine universities made it to the list.

De La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of the Philippines (UP) ranked 501-600, while Mapua University and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) ranked at the 601+ bracket.

In his speech, Marcos underscored that the future of today’s generation largely depends on the quality of higher education system that the present leadership could provide where the young are armed with the right skills to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

He committed that his administration is committed to continue the provision of free tertiary education in public universities and colleges for qualified students as provided under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.