USAID to launch $30 million initiative to boost higher education in Philippines

CEBU, Philippines — The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is set to launch this year a $30-million initiative to help strengthen the country’s higher education system, according to the National Economic and Development Authority.

NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the USAID is about to launch the US-Philippines Partnership for Skills Innovation and Lifelong Learning (UPSKILL) program that will run for five years.

She said the USAID would be working with the Commission on Higher Education and state universities for the initiative.

“We at NEDA are helping with the UPSKILL program because one of their focus is innovation,” Edillon said.

The NEDA serves as the secretariat of the National Innovation Council, a 25-member policy advisory body chaired by the President on innovation matters.

UPSKILL involves strengthening the capacity of higher education institutions in the country for innovation and entrepreneurship by training faculty and staff, improving curriculums and increasing technology transfers.

Under the initiative, there will be partnerships to link academia and the private sector to enable higher education institutions to provide education and skills training relevant to industry needs.

UPSKILL also supports improvements in higher education governance.

Edillon said a stronger higher education system is expected to lead to a bigger pool of innovators that would bring benefits to the economy.

“All products are a product of innovation. (With innovation,) we will have products originally from the Philippines, made in the Philippines. And this will bring more jobs, more investments and better quality of life,” she added.

Earlier, she said the NEDA is pushing for initiatives to strengthen research and development efforts to promote innovation in the country.

Among the initiatives being pushed is a scholarship program to achieve the target of 500 researchers per million population by 2028.

According to Edillon, the NEDA also sees the need to set up a knowledge management system for research and development outputs in thecountry to make these accessible for market players.